First Presbyterian Church of Houston

Duane's take

Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about the First Presbyterian Church of Houston — and friend, this one's got layers. Easter Sunday, March 31, 1839. Picture it: the Republic of Texas is barely three years old, Houston is a muddy, ambitious little city clawing its way into existence, and eleven people walk into the Senate Chamber of the Capitol — Main at Texas — to organize a church.

The man leading them is the Reverend William Youel Allen, a missionary come down from the United States, and together with those eleven founding members — A.B. Shelby, Marian Shelby, J. Wilson Copes, James Bailey, James Burke, Sarah Woodward, Isabella R.

Parker, Edwin Belden, Harris G. Avery, Sophia B. Hodge, and Jannet Scott — they stand up the First Presbyterian Church of Houston.

Right then and there, James Burke is elected ruling elder. Now here's a detail worth sittin' with: they didn't just show up cold that Easter morning. A Sunday School connected to this congregation had already been meeting since May 13, 1838.

These folks had roots before they had walls. And walls were coming — just slowly. While the congregation kept holding services in the Capitol itself, a church building was going up on the northwest corner of Main and Capitol, on land given by the Allen family, the same family that had founded Houston.

When that building was finally finished, it became the first house of worship completed in the city. They dedicated it on February 13, 1842. Then the congregation did something that speaks to who they were.

The Republic had opened its Capitol doors to them in 1838 and 1839 — given them a place to gather when they had none. So when the House of Representatives needed a meeting place in the summer of 1842, the church opened its doors right back. President Sam Houston himself came and addressed a joint session of Congress inside that building.

The marker calls it plainly: the congregation repaid the Republic's hospitality. But nothing in Texas history stays standing forever without a fight. The original church burned in 1862.

A brick structure rose in its place in 1867 and served the congregation faithfully until 1894, when a large stone edifice went up at Main and McKinney. That one lasted until 1932, when fire destroyed part of it. The congregation built again.

The present church was occupied in 1948 and formally dedicated on September 12, 1954. Through all of it — the Republic years, the fires, the rebuilding, the city growing up around them — the pastors kept coming. J.W.

Miller started the formal pastoral line in 1844. From there the list runs long: Gibson, Fairbairn, Twitchell, Byers, Castleton, Hutchinson, Summerville, Frahe, Read, McNeely, Junkin, George, LeFevre, Leavell, Jacobs, Charles L. King who served from 1932 all the way to 1961, and then John W.

Lancaster, whose tenure was still going when this marker was written. Eleven people in the Senate Chamber of a young republic on Easter morning. That's where it started.

What followed was a century and more of fire and stone and rebuilding — and a congregation that, by the marker's own account, sent leaders into the businesses and professions of the state and nation for generations. Some things, it turns out, are worth organizin' on Easter Sunday.

What the marker says

Organized March 31 (Easter Sunday), 1839, in Senate Chamber, Capitol of Republic of Texas, Main at Texas, by the Rev. Wm. Youel Allen, missionary from the United States, and eleven members. James Burke was elected ruling elder. Services of worship and a Sunday School (begun on May 13, 1838) continued in Capitol while church building was being erected on site (NW corner, Main and Capitol) given by the Allen family which had founded Houston. The church was the first house of worship completed in Houston. Dedicated on Feb. 13, 1842, it was used for meeting of other denominations and groups. Here the House of Representatives met in summer of 1842, and President Sam Houston addressed a joint session of Congress. Thus the congregation repaid the Republic's hospitality of 1838-1839. Original church burned 1862; a brick structure was built in 1867, and served until the erection of a large stone edifice, Main at McKinney, 1894. Fire destroyed part of that building in 1932. The present church was occupied in 1948 and dedicated Sept. 12, 1954. Through the years, this church body has furnished many outstanding leaders to the businesses and professions of state and nation. (1970) (see other side) Founding members: A.B. Shelby, Marian Shelby, J. Wilson Copes, James Bailey, James Burke, Sarah Woodward, Isabella R. Parker, Edwin Belden, Harris G. Avery, Sophia B. Hodge, Jannet Scott. Pastors: J.W. Miller, 1844-50. L.S. Gibson, 1850-51. A.Fairbairn, 1852-53. J. Twitchell, 1855-56. R.H. Byers, 1857-59. T. Castleton, 1860-64, J.R. Hutchinson, 1864-67. W.C. Summerville, 1869-70. S. Frahe, 1870-71. J.J. Read, 1871-76. J.H. McNeely, 1877-79. E.D. Junkin, 1880-91. W. George, 1891-92. J.A. LeFevre, 1892-93. W.H. Leavell, 1893-1905. W.S. Jacobs, 1906-31. Charles L. King, 1932-61. John W. Lancaster, 1961-