Trinity Episcopal Church

Duane's take

Here's how the official marker tells it, and I'll do my best to do it justice. You're lookin' at the oldest church building in Albany, Texas, and friend, this little structure has had more lives than a cat on a hot tin roof. Let's walk through them one by one.

It starts with the Methodists. They organized their church back in 1873, and by 1889 they had themselves a proper sanctuary, built right up on Schoolhouse Hill. That's a fine name for a hill, and a fine place for a church.

But in 1909 the Methodists picked the whole thing up and moved it down to Main Street. Just like that. New address, same building.

Then along comes Trinity Episcopal Mission, founded in 1910, and they bought the structure in 1913. They remodeled it in 1914, made it their own. But the story wasn't finished.

Not even close. In 1954, Trinity Episcopal moved the building again, this time to its current site, which you may be interested to know was the former location of Reynolds Presbyterian Academy. That land was given by a man named Watt Matthews.

On that new ground, the congregation added a steeple, and that steeple was designed by Floyd M. Johnson and Joe Blanton. A Methodist building.

An Episcopal home. A Presbyterian address. Three faiths worth of real estate, one stubborn, well-traveled little church.

Albany kept it. Albany still has it. And now you know why it earns the title: oldest church building in town.

What the marker says

The oldest church building in Albany. Methodists, who organized their church in 1873, built this sanctuary on Schoolhouse Hill in 1889, moved it to Main Street in 1909. Trinity Episcopal Mission, founded 1910, bought structure in 1913, remodeled it (1914), removed it in 1954 to this site (former location, Reynolds Presbyterian Academy) given by Watt Matthews, and added steeple designed by Floyd M. Johnson and Joe Blanton. Recorded Texas Historical Landmark, 1962.