First Baptist Church of Marlin

Duane's take

Here's my telling of what the official marker records about the First Baptist Church of Marlin, out there in Falls County. Now settle in, because this congregation has been through a few chapters. Back in August of 1851, the Falls County Commissioners Court donated three Marlin City lots, one apiece for the Baptist, Methodist, and Presbyterian churches.

A gift of land, and a head start. A pioneer preacher by the name of the Reverend Z. N.

Morrell took that Baptist lot and set it at what would later be designated the southeast corner of Ward and Church streets. On April 10, 1852, the local Baptist Church of Christ was organized right there with ten charter members. Ten.

That's your whole founding congregation, standing together and deciding this thing was worth building. Early on, they held worship services in the log courthouse. Later they moved to a two-story schoolhouse.

Borrowed spaces, borrowed time, waiting on something permanent. That permanent something came in 1872, when Marlin builder William McComb erected a one-room brick church on the very property the Reverend Morrell had chosen. Forty feet by sixty feet of brick and conviction.

It served that congregation for years, until 1898, when McComb came back and constructed a frame edifice on that same site. Same man, same ground, new building. Then in 1902, the congregation took on the name it carries today: the First Baptist Church of Marlin.

But the story wasn't done moving. By 1915, the church purchased a new site to relocate, because noise from the nearby railroad had a habit of interrupting services. You can imagine trying to hold a quiet moment of reflection and hearing a freight train announce itself right outside the window.

The congregation moved, and in 1929, the Reverend S. D. Dollahite preached the very first sermon in the new structure.

Education buildings followed, added in 1950 and then again in 1975. And that church bell, about eighty years old at the time, was placed in a brick frame on the church grounds in 1976, right there for everyone to see. This fellowship also established a mission, originally known as Perry Street Baptist Church, which later became Trinity Memorial Baptist Church.

Ten charter members on a donated lot in 1852, and the roots just kept going deeper.

What the marker says

In Aug. 1851 the Falls County Commissioners Court donated three Marlin City lots as sites for Baptist, Methodist,and Presbyterian churches. Pioneer preacher the Rev. Z. N. Morrell selected a lot later designated as the southeast corner of Ward and Church streets for local Baptist Church of Christ with 10 charter members on April 10, 1852. Early worship services were held in the log courthouse and later in a two-story schoolhouse. A one-room brick church measuring 40 x 60 feet was erected in 1872 by Marlin builder William McComb on the property chosen by the Rev. Morrell. It served until 1898 when McComb constructed a frame edifice on the same site. In 1902 this congregation became the First Baptist Church of Marlin. The present site was purchased in 1915 to relocate the church as noise from the nearby railroad disrupted services. The Rev. S. D. Dollahite preached the first sermon in the new structure in 1929. Education buildings were added in 1950 and 1975. The church bell, about 80 years old, was placed in a brick frame on the church grounds in 1976. This fellowship established a mission, originally known as Perry Street Baptist Church, which later became Trinity Memorial Baptist Church.