First Methodist Church of Hallettsville

Duane's take

Here's how the official marker tells it, and I'm gonna do my best to do it justice. Way back in 1842, Methodist circuit riders were already working this stretch of Texas, under the stewardship of John W. DeVilbiss and Henderson D.

Palmer. Now, circuit riders didn't have the luxury of a fine white steeple to preach from. They went where the people were, and the people were scattered.

But they showed up, and that matters. It would be nine more years before anything took root in a formal way. In 1851, eleven charter members came together and established a Methodist society.

Eleven people. You could fit them in a modest living room, and maybe they did, because early on, this congregation met just about anywhere they could. Brush arbors, the homes of prominent area settlers, a schoolhouse, a courthouse, even the ground floor of the local Masonic Lodge Hall.

They weren't picky. They were faithful. The congregation grew close ties with other Methodist churches across Lavaca County, most notably those in the communities of Shiner and Mossy Grove.

That Lodge Hall became something like a home base, and the congregation met there from 1858 all the way until 1891, when their first proper sanctuary was finally completed. By then they had a Sunday School going, a choir, a women's aid society, a parsonage, and in time an educational facility. The congregation kept building and kept growing.

A new sanctuary went up here in 1953. And since the early 1900s, the rolls have generally held more than two hundred members, including, as the marker notes, a number of the community's most prominent citizens. Eleven people in 1851.

A brush arbor for a cathedral. And today, the First United Methodist Church of Hallettsville is still at it, still serving this community with a variety of programs and activities. Eleven became a congregation, and a congregation became a cornerstone.

That's Hallettsville for you.

What the marker says

Methodist circuit riders under the stewardship of John W. DeVilbiss and Henderson D. Palmer served this area as early as 1842. This congregation traces its origin to a Methodist society established by eleven charter members in 1851. Early services were held in various locations, including brush arbors, homes of prominent area settlers, a schoolhouse, courthouse, and the ground floor of the local Masonic Lodge Hall. The congregation was closely associated with other Methodist churches in Lavaca County, most notably those established in the communities of Shiner and Mossy Grove. The congregation met in the Lodge Hall from 1858 until 1891 when their first sanctuary was completed. A Sunday School, choir, and a women's aid society were organized and over the years the congregation added a parsonage and an educational facility. A new sanctuary was built here in 1953. The congregation, which has generally contained more than 200 members since the early 1900s, has included among its membership a number of the community's most prominent citizens. First United Methodist Church of Hallettsville continues to serve the community with a variety of programs and activities. 1995