DUANE
Duane's take
Here's my telling of what the official marker says about Boynton Chapel Methodist Church, out there in Harris County. Eight people. That's where it starts.
Eight founding members, coming together in 1880 to organize a congregation. Eight folks with enough faith and enough grit to plant something that would grow far beyond anything they could have imagined standing there at the beginning. And grow it did — fast.
By August of 1885, the African American congregation, now known as the Dallas Street Methodist Episcopal Church and part of the Texas Conference, had already purchased property at Dallas and Paige Streets. The first recorded pastor on the books was Peter Bush, in 1886. Then, by 1889, the church had taken a new name — Boynton Chapel Methodist Church — and by 1915, membership had climbed all the way to three hundred souls.
Now the congregation wasn't just growin' in number. They were buildin'. An expansion and addition to the 1887 church was designed under the Reverend Jesse W.
Gilder in 1916, and completed under the Reverend S.W. Johnson in 1922. And what they built wasn't just a bigger sanctuary — they built a community.
An adjacent lot was purchased to enlarge the building and establish a community center. We're talkin' a gymnasium, a roof garden, a reading room, classrooms, a playground, and a pool. That pool.
Let that one sit for a moment. From 1926 to 1939, that pool was the only such facility in all of Houston open to African Americans. The only one.
In a city that size. Boynton Chapel filled that gap, quietly and completely. And they didn't stop there — the community center later added a nursery school.
Decades passed. The congregation kept servin'. And under the leadership of the Reverend Homer D.
Pace, the church purchased property at 2812 Milby Street in 1955, setting their sights on something new. For the design of that new building, they turned to John S. Chase — born in 1925, died in 2012 — Texas's first licensed African American architect, early in his career.
Chase's mid-century modern design emphasizes the horizontal plane and natural lighting, and the building has features that stop you cold when you see them: flying gables, a low bell tower, stained glass window walls in the sanctuary, and cruciform shapes outlined in pink marble on the east and south elevations. And there at the entry, leaded art glass created by local artist Carroll Harris Simms — born 1924, died 2010. Art and architecture, together, saying something before you ever walk through the door.
That new building was dedicated on January 5, 1958. In its new home in the Third Ward, Boynton Chapel kept on bein' what it had always been. Noted members included community leaders like Christia Adair, born 1893, died 1989; Madgelean 'Mama' Bush, born 1931, died 2010; and Dr.
Forde McWilliams, born 1926, died 2001. More than a hundred years of service to Houston's Third Ward. Eight people.
One congregation. One pool that stood alone. One building dressed in pink marble and stained glass.
The marker tells the story — and it's one worth stoppin' the car for.
What the marker says
The church's history notes that it was organized by eight founding members in 1880. The African American congregation quickly grew and, in August 1885, the Dallas Street Methodist Episcopal Church, by now part of the Texas Conference, purchased property at Dallas and Paige Streets. The first recorded pastor was Peter Bush in 1886. The church was renamed Boynton Chapel Methodist Church by 1889, and membership grew to 300 by 1915. An expansion and addition to the 1887 church was designed under the Rev. Jesse W. Gilder in 1916 and completed under the Rev. S.W. Johnson in 1922. The church purchased an adjacent lot to enlarge the building and establish a community center, featuring a gymnasium, roof garden, reading room, classroom, playground and pool. This pool was the only such Houston facility open to African Americans from 1926 to 1939. The community center later added a nursery school. Under the leadership of the Rev. Homer D. Pace, the church purchased property at 2812 Milby Street in 1955 for a new building. John S. Chase (1925-2012), Texas" first licensed African American architect, designed the building early in his career. Local artist Carroll Harris Simms (1924-2010) created the leaded art glass at the entry. The new building was dedicated on January 5, 1958. Chase's mid-century modern design emphasizes the horizontal plane and natural lighting. Distinguishing features include the flying gables and low bell tower, stained glass window walls in the sanctuary and cruciform shapes outlined in pink marble on the east and south elevations. In its new location, the church continued to serve the Third Ward community. Noted church members included community leaders such as Christia Adair (1893-1989), Madgelean "Mama" Bush (1931-2010) and Dr. Forde McWilliams (1926-2001). For more than 100 years, Boynton Chapel has been a staple of Houston's Third Ward. RECORDED TEXAS HISTORIC LANDMARK - 2023