Assumption of the Virgin Mary Greek Orthodox Church

Duane's take

Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about the Assumption of the Virgin Mary Greek Orthodox Church in Tom Green County. Pull up a chair, because this one starts with a handful of Greek neighbors, a borrowed room, and a fire that changed everything. November 23, 1929.

San Angelo, Texas. A group of Greek residents gathered and made their first attempt to organize the Greek community in the area. What they created was the Hellenic Educational Society called The Platon, or the Platon Society, and their vision was straightforward: establish a school to teach the Greek language and promote religious studies.

Now here's something worth noting. In those early decades, there was no distinction between the Platon Society and the church. The society controlled the church, plain and simple.

The society incorporated on July 6, 1931. The Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary San Angelo incorporated on November 28, 1932. Two separate dates, two separate milestones, one tightly woven community.

But before any of that could take root, they needed a place to meet. For over a year, they gathered at a cafe. A cafe.

Which, honestly, is a very Greek thing to do, and I mean that with full admiration. Eventually though, the society decided to find a proper home for their services and their school. In 1933, they chose to rent the Episcopal Church.

It wasn't theirs, but it was a roof, and it would do, until it wouldn't. May 9, 1936. A fire consumed the building adjoined to that church.

And right there, in the smoke and the ruin, the Orthodox congregation voted to erect their own building. They didn't walk away from that damaged Episcopal structure, either. They bought it.

They moved it to this very location. Local architect L. H.

Gaskins designed a new structure, one based on the old church, and the work began in earnest. Then on July 28, 1937, the society bought two lots at the corner of Avenue G and Sam Street, those streets now known as Montecito and Kenwood, from a man named G. Dorrance, for nine hundred and fifty dollars.

Nine hundred and fifty dollars for the ground beneath a church that would come to serve the largest geographic area of any Greek Orthodox church in West Texas. San Angelo. Midland.

Odessa. Pecos. Lubbock.

Amarillo. That is a stretch of Texas sky that goes on forever. Today, that building still stands.

It has added a parish hall and a storeroom. It has been renovated. But it is still home to the parish, still drawing worshippers, Greek and non-Greek alike, brought together by faith.

The church's makeup has changed since the 1930s, the marker tells us, but its life in the community is still going strong, bringing, as the marker puts it, a sense of peace and beauty to the neighborhood. Started in a cafe, born out of fire, built on nine hundred and fifty dollars' worth of West Texas dirt. Some foundations hold.

What the marker says

On Nov. 23 1929, a group of Greek residents in San Angelo made the first attempt to organize the Greek community in the area by creating the "Hellenic Educational Society 'The Platon'" or "Platon Society." This society was intended to establish a school to teach the Greek language and to promote religious studies. In the early decades, there was no distinction between the Platon Society and the church as the former controlled the latter. The society incorporated Jul. 6, 1931, while the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary San Angelo incorporated on Nov. 28, 1932. After meeting at a cafe for over a year, the society decided to find a place to hold their services and school, ultimately choosing to rent the Episcopal Church in 1933. On May 9, 1936, a fire consumed the building adjoined to the church, leading the Orthodox congregation to vote to erect their own building. Local architect L. H. Gaskins designed a new structure but one based on the old church. They also bought the fire damaged Episcopal Church and moved it to this location where the present church was built. On Jul. 28, 1937, the society bought two lots at Avenue G and Sam Street (now Montecito and Kenwood) from G. Dorrance for $950. Today this building is still home to the parish although it has added on a parish hall and storeroom and been renovated. At the time, the church was the largest in West Texas in terms of geographic area served, ministering to San Angelo, Midland, Odessa, Pecos, Lubbock and Amarillo. The church, beginning as the center of a thriving immigrant Greek community, also attracts many non-Greeks drawn by their faith. Although the church's makeup has changed since the 1930s, its life in the community is still going strong, bringing a sense of peace and beauty to the neighborhood. (2012)