First Methodist Church of Dayton

Duane's take

Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about the First Methodist Church of Dayton, Liberty County. Now settle in, because this is a story that starts small, grows tall, and keeps on growin'. Methodist worship services were being conducted in West Liberty, later known as Dayton, as early as 1855.

Think about that. Before the Civil War, before the railroad, before most folks had even heard of the place, someone was gathering people together on a Sunday morning. By 1900, the First Methodist Church had itself a full-time pastor.

Reverend G. T. Newberry was his name, and he conducted services right there in the Dayton schoolhouse on North Main Street.

Now that's the kind of arrangement that says: we are here, we are serious, and we are working with what we've got. Then 1906 rolls around, and things get real. The congregation built its first sanctuary, a one-story wooden structure with a bell tower.

A bell tower, mind you. That bell wasn't just decoration. That was a statement.

And that same year, 1906, a church school was organized, with Charles Wilson elected to serve as the first superintendent. One year, two milestones. The congregation wasn't wasting any time.

That wooden sanctuary with its proud little bell tower served the members all the way until 1928, when the congregation, having kept on growin' the whole while, constructed a large two-story brick building with a basement on the northwest corner of Houston Avenue and Cleveland Street. Brick. Two stories.

A basement. That is a congregation telling the world it intends to stay. And stay they did.

So much so that by 1980, that 1928 structure had to be razed to make way for something even bigger. The congregation built a new sanctuary in 1981. And along the way, after a denominational merger in 1968, the church's name was changed to First United Methodist Church.

From a schoolhouse on North Main Street to a new sanctuary, from West Liberty to Dayton, through worship and education and social and missionary programs, this congregation has been serving its community through all of it. Some things in Texas shift with every strong wind. And some things just keep ringin' that bell.

What the marker says

Methodist worship services were conducted in West Liberty, later known as Dayton, as early as 1855. By 1900 the First Methodist Church had a full-time pastor, the Rev. G. T. Newberry, who conducted services in the Dayton schoolhouse on North Main Street. In 1906 the congregation built its first sanctuary. A one-story wooden structure with a bell tower, which continued to serve the members until 1928. A church school also was organized in 1906, and Charles Wilson was elected to serve as the first superintendent. A series of worship and education facilities were constructed to accommodate the growing congregation through the years, including a large two-story brick building with a basement on the northwest corner of Houston Avenue and Cleveland Street in 1928. Due to continued growth, the 1928 structure was razed in 1980, and the congregation built a new sanctuary in 1981. After a denominational merger in 1968, the church's name was changed to first United Methodist Church. throughout the years the congregation has served the community with a variety of worship, educational, social, and missionary programs.