First Baptist Church of Liberty Hill

Duane's take

Here's how the official marker tells it, and I'll do my best to do it justice. Now, before there was a First Baptist Church of Liberty Hill, there were two churches. Zion Baptist Church and the Liberty Hill Missionary Baptist Church of Christ, and those two congregations found enough common ground to merge in 1854.

In the early years, they didn't have four walls and a roof to call their own. They gathered under a brush arbor, open to the sky, or they made their way to the Silent Grove School, sitting four miles to the west. Picture that, neighbors filing in on a Sunday morning, finding their pew in a schoolhouse.

That was the church. That was enough. Then came the railroad.

When the Austin and Northwestern Railroad was built, Liberty Hill moved, and with it, the congregation found new footing. The church was organized in 1882, with the Reverend J.A. Arbuckle as pastor.

And the members, these were people who believed in doing the work themselves, they erected their building on this very site. The land was given by the Reverend W.O. Spencer, and on that gift, they built something meant to last.

Evangelism, Sunday school, and other endeavors have prospered across the years. The present church building has been in use since 1904, and when it needed tending, the congregation renovated it in 1950. From a brush arbor to a building that still stands.

That's a congregation that knew how to hold on.

What the marker says

Successor to Zion Baptist Church and the Liberty Hill Missionary Baptist Church of Christ, which merged 1854, and met in a brush arbor or in Silent Grove School, 4 miles to the west. When Austin & Northwestern Railroad was built, Liberty Hill moved here, and this church was organized (1882), with the Rev. J.A. Arbuckle as pastor. Members erected their building on this site given by the Rev. W.O. Spencer. Evangelism, Sunday school, and other endeavors have prospered. The present church building, in use since 1904, was renovated in 1950. (1974)