St. Phillips Episcopal

Duane's take

Here's my telling of what the official marker says about St. Phillips Episcopal Church in Robertson County. Now settle in, because this one reaches back a good ways.

Two men, W. B. Wadsworth, born in 1843, and J.

G. Wilkerson, born in 1847, packed up their families and made the move from Matagorda to the Hearne area. Two families, one destination, and between them, the seed of something that would last well past their own years on this earth.

With their help, a congregation was founded in 1871. And when it came time to give that congregation a name, they looked to the man who had stood before them and delivered the very first sermon. That was the Reverend J.

W. Philips, and so the church was named in his honor. St.

Phillips Episcopal. Now, the land itself didn't come cheap, and it didn't come easy, but it did come as a gift. The New York and Texas Land Company donated the property to the congregation outright.

Services went forward in a wooden church building, year after year, decade after decade. Then in 1912, the present structure was completed, a Gothic revival building, the kind that makes you stop and look twice when you come up on it. J.

G. Wilkerson had passed on by 1903, never seeing that finished stone and mortar. W.

B. Wadsworth lived until 1916, so whether he saw it rise is something the marker leaves to your imagination. What it doesn't leave to imagination is this: two families came up from Matagorda, a preacher delivered a sermon, a land company gave the ground, and out of all that, a Gothic revival church still stands.

That's Robertson County for you.

What the marker says

W. B. Wadsworth (1843-1916) and J. G. Wilkerson (1847-1903) moved their families to the Hearne area from Matagorda. With their help, this church was founded in 1871. It was named in honor of the Rev. J. W. Philips who preached the first sermon. This property was donated to the congregation by the New York and Texas Land Company. Services were conducted in a wooden church building until the present Gothic revival structure was completed in 1912. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1979