Early Church of Graham

Duane's take

Here's how the official marker tells it, and I'll do my best to do it justice. Picture Young County, Texas, and a red brick building with a bell tower rising up out of the prairie in 1885. That structure went up for the First Baptist Church of Graham, a congregation that had already been going strong since 1880.

The contractor was a man named J. H. Wood, and when the work was done, those bricks were left bare, red as the Texas clay, unpainted.

On May 10, the doors opened for the dedication service, with Elder W. M. Farmer himself in the pulpit to preach the occasion in.

Now, the land that building stood on was no accident. It was donated by Colonel E. S.

Graham, the very founder of the town that bears his name. A man who planted a town tends to think about what a town needs, and apparently a house of worship was near the top of that list. So the First Baptist Church had their building, their bell tower ringing out over Graham, and their congregation worshipping there for years.

Then came 1908. The Baptists had grown, or had bigger plans, and they erected themselves a new building. This one, the original, the red brick landmark with all those years of Sundays soaked into its walls, was sold.

The buyer was the Church of Christ. Now here is where the story takes its quiet, satisfying turn. The Church of Christ moved in, and they never left.

By the time this marker was recorded in 1971, that congregation had been worshipping at that same site longer than any other church in the whole town of Graham. The Baptists built it, but the Church of Christ outlasted everyone. Sometimes the building tells the longest story of all.

What the marker says

Erected in 1885 for use by the First Baptist Church (established 1880). Dedicated May 10 at service preached by Elder W. M. Farmer. Originally structure had a bell tower and its red brick was not painted. Land was donated by Col. E. S. Graham, founder of town. J. H. Wood served as contractor. In 1908, when Baptists erected a new building, this one was sold to Church of Christ, which has now worshipped at same site longer than any other church in town. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1971