Christ Episcopal Church of Temple

Duane's take

Here's how the official marker tells it, and here's how I'm gonna tell it to you. Back in 1889, a small fellowship took root in Temple, Texas, not as a full-blown church yet, just a mission, a seed planted in Bell County soil. But seeds have a way of growing, and by 1902 this one had grown enough to achieve parish status.

Now that's when the real ambition kicked in. The congregation set their sights on something lasting, something you could see from down the road. They wanted a building.

A proper one. So they started raising money. A public fund drive got underway in 1904, and when enough had come together, construction began on a Gothic Revival edifice, the kind of building that reaches upward like it means it.

The design came from A.O. Watson of Austin, and Watson gave them something worth the wait. Then came the morning of September 24, 1905.

The Rev. Thomas J. Sloan stood before his congregation and led the first service inside those walls.

You can imagine what that felt like after all those years of working and waiting and believing it would come. But the story wasn't finished yet. A building consecrated in spirit still had a debt attached to it, and that debt hung on for years.

It wasn't until 1913, during the pastorate of the Rev. Custis Fletcher, that the last of it was paid. And with that settled, the Rt.

Rev. George H. Kinsolving, Bishop of Texas, came and consecrated the structure.

From mission to consecrated landmark, Temple's Christ Episcopal Church took its time, did the work, and earned every stone of it.

What the marker says

Founded as a mission in 1889, this fellowship achieved parish status in 1902 and began raising money to erect this church building. After a public fund drive (1904), construction was started on the Gothic Revival edifice designed by A.O. Watson of Austin. The Rev. Thomas J. Sloan led the first service here Sept. 24, 1905. The debt was paid in 1913, during the pastorate of the Rev. Custis Fletcher, and the structure was consecrated by the Rt. Rev. George H. Kinsolving, Bishop of Texas. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1976