DUANE
Duane's take
Here's how the official marker tells it, and I'll do my best to do it justice. St. Paul's United Methodist Church, Harris County — let's take it from the top.
Now, at the turn of the twentieth century, Houston was growin' fast — and the Methodist community was keepin' pace. The south end of town was burgeoning, as they used to say, and a group of folks with vision and ambition started workin' toward somethin' new. In December of 1905, they gathered at the J.O.
Ross family home. They held Christmas Eve services at the city auditorium. You can almost picture it — candlelight, carols, and the unmistakable feeling that something was just gettin' started.
And sure enough, on January 14, 1906, the congregation officially organized. One hundred and fifty-three charter members. Not a small crowd.
Bishop Joseph Key himself preached that first sermon, and he made a suggestion — call this congregation St. Paul's. They did.
Now, the Ross family — the same family that'd opened their home at the very beginning — they gave lots at the corner of Milam and McGowen streets for a new building. Architect R.D. Steele drew up the design, and when that structure was consecrated in January of 1909, what people saw was something worth stopping for.
A Grecian design, with a dome reminiscent of Byzantine architecture. Right there in Houston, Texas. But a church that's alive doesn't stand still.
The congregation grew right alongside the city, and by the late 1920s, the members had their eyes on something bigger. They launched a campaign to raise money for new facilities, and when you're raisin' money in Houston, sometimes Houston answers. Jesse H.
Jones stepped up with a hundred and fifty thousand dollars. Walter Fondren matched it — another hundred and fifty thousand. J.M.
West, Sr. came in with the same. Three contributors, three equal stakes, half a million dollars total. And with that, the church hired noted architect Alfred C.
Finn to design a new building at the corner of Main and Binz streets. What Finn gave them was Neo-Gothic — a cruciform plan on a steel-frame structure with limestone cladding. Stained glass windows carried over from the old sanctuary.
And that impressive tower? It houses bells brought from the original church too. Something old, something enduring, standing inside something grand and new.
St. Paul's went on to support an array of outreach, worship, education, mission, music, and caring services to the community. By the turn of the twenty-first century, it had become a spiritual and social community center — and a long-standing Houston institution.
Started in a family home on Christmas Eve. That's a foundation worth buildin' on.
What the marker says
At the beginning of the 20th century, members of Houston’s Methodist community worked toward organizing a new congregation on what was then the burgeoning south end of town. In December 1905, individuals met at the J.O. Ross family home and held Christmas Eve services at the city auditorium. The congregation officially organized on January 14, 1906 with 153 charter members. Bishop Joseph Key preached the first sermon and suggested the congregation adopt St. Paul’s as its name. The Ross family gave lots at the corner of Milam and McGowen streets for a new building. Designed by R.D. Steele and consecrated in January 1909. The structure reflected a Grecian design with a dome reminiscent of Byzantine architecture. The church grew along with the city of Houston, and in the late 1920s, members launched a campaign to raise money for new facilities. Jesse H. Jones, Walter Fondren and J.M. West, Sr. each contributed $150,000, and the church hired noted architect Alfred C. Finn to design a new building at the corner of Main and Binz streets. The Neo-Gothic styling features a cruciform plan on a steel-frame structure with limestone cladding. Stained glass windows from the structure, and the impressive tower houses bells also brought from the church’s original sanctuary. St. Paul’s church members support an array of outreach, worship, education, mission, music and caring services to the community. At the turn of the 21st century, the church is a spiritual and social community center, as well as a long-standing Houston institution. (2006)