First Methodist Church

Duane's take

The way the marker tells it, here's what you need to know about the First Methodist Church of Crockett, Texas. This congregation claims a remarkable place in the story of this state. It was the city's first congregation, and one of the oldest in all of Texas.

That's not local pride talking. That's the record. The church formed in 1839, with Henderson Palmer serving as pastor.

And at that organization, a noted minister named Littleton Fowler was presiding elder. Two names worth remembering. 1839. That puts this congregation right at the edge of Texas history, when the whole enterprise of statehood was still a question mark on the horizon.

For years, the Methodists of Crockett shared a structure with the town's other denominations. Churches doing what frontier communities had to do: make do together. But in 1864, they erected their own frame building, right here on this site.

Their own house, on their own ground. And once they had it, they put it to work. The church hosted the East Texas Annual Conferences of 1862, 1871, 1877, and 1888.

Four times, the region's Methodist leadership gathered under this congregation's roof to conduct the business of the faith. Then came the building that still stands. Between 1901 and 1902, a new sanctuary went up, built of brick, and here is the detail that stops you cold: that brick was fired right here, at the site itself.

The ground beneath the church helped build the church above it. That sanctuary, born of local earth and local labor, is to this day the oldest extant house of worship in the city of Crockett. And it didn't wait long to prove its significance.

December 3 through 8, 1902, the first sessions of the newly-merged Texas Annual Conference were held right here. The oldest still-standing church in town, hosting the first gathering of a newly united conference. Some buildings earn their place in the story.

This one fired its own bricks to do it.

What the marker says

City's first congregation and one of the oldest in Texas. Formed 1839 with Henderson Palmer as pastor. Noted Minister Littleton Fowler was presiding elder at organization. Methodists shared a structure with Crockett's other denominations until erecting a frame building on this site in 1864. The church was host to East Texas Annual Conferences of 1862, 1871, 1877, 1888. Present sanctuary, built in 1901-1902 of brick fired at site, is oldest extant house of worship in city. First sessions of newly-merged Texas Annual Conference were held here, December 3-8, 1902. (1968)