First United Methodist Church

Duane's take

Here's how the official marker tells it, and I'll do my best to do it justice. Way back in the 1870s, a group of Methodists made their way to a place called Stillwater, about two miles north of what would become Chandler, sitting right along the Upper Athens-Tyler stagecoach road. Now, a man named A.

H. Chandler had settled in the northeastern part of Henderson County back in 1859, and when those Methodists came looking for a place to put down roots, he donated land to the Methodist Church. That was a generous thing.

But the story doesn't stop there. The congregation eventually traded that land for the present site, working out a deal with a man named T. P.

Morman. Getting a church officially chartered takes more than a handshake and a piece of land, though. It took people.

Laura Fitzgerald Maynard, the Ben Fitzgerald family, the Chamness family, and others rolled up their sleeves and made it happen. Then in 1889, the Texas Conference appointed Reverend O. C.

Fountain as the first pastor. First pastor of a congregation that, at that point, had already been through a land trade, a charter effort, and Lord knows how many Sunday meetings without a proper home. Before 1908, a new frame building went up.

And as the congregation kept growin', wings were added in 1923 to make room. In 1940, the Chandler Church became a member of the Texas Annual Conference, active in the Tyler district. By 1953, they needed something bigger still, and a Colonial Style church was built to accommodate the increased membership.

That building stands today, now called Heritage Hall, still serving the church and the community. In 1976 and again in 1979, a new fellowship hall and additional classrooms were added. The place just kept growin'.

In 1992, the congregation changed the name to First United Methodist Church of Chandler. And then in 1998, a south campus was completed on the lake, named Lake Palestine United Methodist Church. What started as a small group of Methodists on a stagecoach road, on donated land, in a town that barely existed yet, grew into something the marker calls a sustaining spiritual force in Chandler.

Some things, it turns out, are built to last.

What the marker says

The Chandler United Methodist Church dates back to the 1870s when a group of Methodists came to Stillwater, about two miles north of Chandler, on the Upper Athens-Tyler stagecoach road. A. H. Chandler, who settled in the northeastern part of Henderson County in 1859, donated land to the Methodist Church. The congregation traded the land for the present site from T. P. Morman. The church was officially chartered due to the efforts of Laura Fitzgerald Maynard, the Ben Fitzgerald family, the Chamness family and others. In 1889, the Texas Conference appointed Rev. O. C. Fountain as the first pastor. Before 1908 a new frame building was erected and, as it grew, wings were added in 1923 for additional space. In 1940, the Chandler Church became a member of the Texas Annual Conference, active in the Tyler district. The Colonial Style church seen today was built in 1953 to accommodate increased membership. The structure, now named Heritage Hall, continues to serve the church and community. As the congregation grew, a new fellowship hall and additional classrooms were added in 1976 and again in 1979. In 1992, the congregation changed the name of the church to First United Methodist Church of Chandler. In 1998, a south campus was completed on the lake and named Lake Palestine United Methodist Church. What began as a small group of Methodists has grown into a sustaining spiritual force in Chandler.