DUANE
Duane's take
Here's how the official marker tells it — let me lay it out for you. Back in 1903, a group of members from Central Christian Church decided east Dallas needed something of its own, and so they organized a new fellowship right there on the growing edge of the city. Now, in those early days, you didn't always start with brick and mortar — you started with what you had.
And what they had was a wooden chapel, sitting right at the northeast corner of Peak and Victor Streets. The Reverend John Stevens stepped up as the first pastor, and Sunday mornings in that little wooden chapel were where this story began. Then came 1907, and the congregation made a move — the tabernacle was relocated to a new site, land that was donated by a man named J.
J. Hart. That kind of generosity has a way of setting a place on a different trajectory altogether.
And sure enough, by 1912, that wooden structure gave way to a new brick building, solid and permanent, the kind of building that says we're not going anywhere. From that foundation, the church grew into something larger than itself — a genuine leader in the growth of east Dallas. It threw its weight behind neighborhood programs, behind missions, and behind the Juliette Fowler Home, an institution that got its start thanks to Sara Harwood, one of the church's own members.
Over the years, many prominent Dallas leaders counted themselves among the congregation. Not bad for a fellowship that started in a wooden chapel on the corner of Peak and Victor. Some things, when you plant them right, just grow.
What the marker says
Members of Central Christian Church organized this fellowship in 1903. The earliest services were held in a wooden chapel at the northeast corner of Peak and Victor Streets. The Rev. John Stevens served as the first pastor. In 1907 the tabernacle was moved to this site, donated by J. J. Hart. A new brick building replaced the structure in 1912. A leader in the growth of east Dallas, the church has actively supported neighborhood programs, missions, and the Juliette Fowler Home, started by member Sara Harwood. Many prominent Dallas leaders have been members here. (1982)