Heights Church of Christ

Duane's take

Here's how the official marker tells it, and here's how Duane tells it right back to you. You're rolling through Houston Heights, and the story standing on this corner goes back to 1915. That's when the Heights Church of Christ was founded, making it the second Church of Christ congregation established in the city of Houston.

Second. Not first, but don't let that fool you into thinking this congregation was content to stay small or stay quiet. A man named G.

A. Dunn was serving as minister when the congregation built its very first place of worship, and they did that in 1916. One year after founding.

These folks were not ones for sitting still. Now, here's where the story picks up some architectural weight. By 1924, the congregation went out and hired Alfred C.

Finn, a noted Houston architect, to design them something worthy of the neighborhood. What Finn drew up was a church in the Renaissance Revival style, touched with Georgian Revival influences. Alfred C.

Finn. Remember that name, because Houston does. And what he delivered became a significant element in the Houston Heights neighborhood, which is no small thing to say about a building in a city that has never been shy about tearing things down and starting over.

But this one stood. And the congregation inside it kept reaching outward, establishing new congregations throughout the Houston area and taking on foreign missionary endeavors besides. Founded in 1915, built in 1916, reimagined in 1924, and still standing as a piece of this city's story.

That's a congregation that knew how to plant roots.

What the marker says

Founded in 1915, this was the second Church of Christ congregation established in Houston. G. A. Dunn served as minister when the congregation built its first place of worship in 1916. In 1924 noted Houston architect Alfred C. Finn was hired to design a new church structure in the Renaissance Revival style with Georgian Revival influences. A significant element in the Houston Heights neighborhood, the church has established new congregations throughout the Houston area and has been involved in foreign missionary endeavors, as well. (1990)