First Presbyterian Church of Victoria

Duane's take

The way I tell it, I'm going by what the official marker says, so let's see what it has to say. Now, Victoria, Texas has got itself some history that goes back a good long while, and the First Presbyterian Church is a fine place to start if you want proof. The congregation was organized on October 2, 1841, by the Reverend William C.

Blair and eight charter members. Eight people. That's it.

You could fit the whole founding congregation in a large pickup truck, and yet here they were, setting something in motion that would outlast every one of them by generations. The first house of worship went up in the 1840s, right across from DeLeon Plaza. Picture that, a modest little building squaring up against the wide Texas sky, staking a claim.

Worship and educational programs grew as the church experienced steady growth, which is a polite way of saying more and more folks kept showing up and deciding they liked what they found. By 1872, the women had organized the Ladies Aid Benevolent Society, and one year after that, a new sanctuary was built at the corner of Forest and Liberty Streets. That building carried the congregation all the way to 1923, when a red brick structure was completed one block north at Goodwin and Liberty Streets.

Red brick. Solid. The kind of building that says we are not going anywhere.

And for a long time, they weren't. Then in 1966, the church relocated to the site where that marker stands today. Along the way, the congregation established a Presbyterian day school in 1946, ran scout troops, and this church was instrumental in organizing new Presbyterian congregations in Victoria and in nearby communities.

The women of the church, known by various names over the years, contributed much to the life of the congregation. What started with Reverend Blair and eight souls on an October day in 1841 grew into something that kept reaching outward, building new churches, educating children, and serving the community decade after decade. Eight members.

Sometimes that's all it takes to start something that doesn't stop.

What the marker says

One of the oldest church congregations in Victoria, the First Presbyterian Church was organized on October 2, 1841, by the Rev. William C. Blair and eight charter members. The first house of worship was built in the 1840s across from DeLeon Plaza. Worship and educational programs were increased as the church experienced steady growth. The Ladies Aid Benevolent Society was organized in 1872. One year later a new sanctuary was built at the corner of Forest and Liberty Streets. It continued to serve the congregation until 1923, when a red brick structure was completed one block north at Goodwin and Liberty Streets. The church relocated to this site in 1966. Throughout its history, this congregation has served the community with variety of worship, educational, mission, and outreach programs. The women of the church, under various names over the years, have contributed much to the life of the congregation. In addition to the Sunday school, youth programs have included the establishment of the Presbyterian day school in 1946 and scout troops. This church was instrumental in organizing new Presbyterian congregations in Victoria and nearby communities. (1991)