DUANE
Duane's take
Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about the Second Baptist Church of Seguin. Now settle in, because this story starts in the rubble of a war and ends with something that's still standing today. Following the Civil War, freedmen and their families were building lives from scratch — seeking communities, seeking schools for their children, seeking a place to worship.
Into that moment steps a man you might not expect: the Reverend Leonard Ilsley, a native of Maine, who had come to Seguin before the Civil War and — when the smoke cleared — chose to stay. He stayed to help. Ilsley helped organize several freedmen churches in Guadalupe County, performed dozens of marriage ceremonies, and went so far as to finance the building of a male dormitory at Guadalupe College.
The man was busy. And on November the sixteenth, 1865, he sat down with a small group of freedmen and freedwomen in Seguin and organized the Second Baptist Church of Seguin. That's the moment this story turns on.
The congregation eventually found its home in a small concrete and adobe building on East Court and South Bauer Streets — a place known as the Andrew Neill Church House. Ilsley preached and provided pastoral leadership there, until a man named Hiram Wilson was appointed pastor in 1867. Now here's where you stop and take notice.
Prior to emancipation, Hiram Wilson and his brothers had been slaves of a Presbyterian minister. That is the weight that man carried into that pulpit. Under Reverend Wilson's leadership, the church purchased property at its current location on South Guadalupe Street in 1874, and built a building for both worship and a school — because for this community, faith and education were never two separate things.
Membership grew to include several Buffalo Soldiers, successful business owners, and educators. Among them, William Ball, who co-organized the Abraham Lincoln School and served as its principal. Ball went on to serve as pastor of the Second Baptist Church from 1884 to 1920.
Born in a time of turbulence and turmoil, as the marker itself puts it, the Second Baptist Church of Seguin has been a beacon of safety, hope, and faith for the African American community of Seguin for well over a hundred and fifty years. Some things are built to last. This one was.
What the marker says
Following the Civil War, freedmen and their families settled in communities and sought out a place to educate their children and a place of worship. The reverend Leonard Ilsley, a native of Maine, came to Seguin before the Civil War and remained after the war to assist the freedmen community. He helped organize several freedmen churches in the county, performed dozens of marriage ceremonies, and financed the building of a male dormitory at Guadalupe College. On November 16, 1865, Rev. Ilsley met with a small group of freedmen and freedwomen in Seguin and organized the second Baptist Church of Seguin. The congregation eventually settled in to a small concrete and adobe building on East Court and South Bauer Streets known as the Andrew Neill Church House. Rev. Ilsley preached and provided pastoral leadership until Hiram Wilson was appointed pastor in 1867. Prior to emancipation, Hiram Wilson and his brothers were slaves of a presbyterian minister. Under Rev. Wilson's leadership, the church purchased property at its current location on S. Guadalupe Street in 1874 and built a building for worship and a school. Membership included several Buffalo Soldiers, successful business owners, and educators, including William Ball, who co-organized the Abraham Lincoln School and served as principal. Ball served as pastor of the second Baptist Church from 1884 to 1920. born in a time of turbulence and turmoil, the Second Baptist Church of Seguin has been a beacon of safety, hope and faith for the African American Community of Seguin for well over 150 years. (2017)