DUANE
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Duane's take
Here's how the official marker tells it, and I'm passing it right along to you. Way out in Bastrop County, in the town of Smithville, there's a congregation with a story that stretches back to 1896. That's when the First Christian Church, Disciples of Christ, first came together.
Now, they didn't have a building of their own right off. No, they made do. They worshiped at Maney's Opera House, which, you have to admit, has a certain flair to it.
Stained glass and hymnals one Sunday, curtain calls and footlights the next. Then, for a spell, they shared the Cumberland Presbyterian facility. Two congregations, one roof.
You can imagine the scheduling conversations. But the Disciples had their sights set on something of their own. And in 1903, they got it.
They erected this church structure, and here's the part worth savoring: the men who built it came from both sides of that shared-roof arrangement. Chester H. Turney was a member of the Disciples fellowship himself.
His brother, Major M. Turney, worshiped with the Presbyterian congregation. Two brothers, two churches, one building going up together.
The structure they raised has a bell tower right above the entrance vestibule, and the windows are dressed with stained glass transoms that catch the light just so. In a town like Smithville, that building has been standing since 1903, carrying the story of two families, two congregations, and one roof they decided to share, then build, then leave standing for anyone passing through to see.
What the marker says
Formed in 1896, this congregation worshiped originally at Maney's Opera House and later shared the Cumberland Presbyterian facility. The Disciples erected this church structure in 1903. Builders were Chester H. Turney, a member of this fellowship, and his brother Major M. Turney, of the Presbyterian congregation. The building has a bell tower above the entrance vestibule. Stained glass transoms decorate the windows. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1979