Woods Methodist Church

Duane's take

Here's how the official marker tells it, and here's how I'm passing it along to you. Way out in Panola County, there's a church that has been standing and serving longer than just about anything else around those parts. It goes by the name Woods Methodist Church now, but it didn't start out that way.

It started out as Methodist Church Concord, and it had itself a house of worship before 1858. That's not a typo. Before 1858.

So when folks around here talk about old, they mean it. On November 28, 1876, a man named E. S.

Hull deeded the present site to the church, and that winter, the men of the community got together and raised the building that still stands there. Think about that for a second. Winter of 1876 going into 1877, men working in the cold to put up something meant to last.

Turns out they were right to work hard, because it's still in use to this day. Now, around 1900, the church changed its name. Not for any grand theological reason the marker cares to share, but to match up with the local post office.

And that post office, it carried the name of the very first postmaster, a man named Theodorick B. Wood, who had been appointed to that post on January 16, 1854. His name stuck to the post office, the post office stuck to the community, and the community stuck to the church, so Woods Methodist Church it became.

One building. One congregation going back past 1858. One of the oldest buildings in all of Panola County still doing what it was built to do.

Some things, you just don't tear down.

What the marker says

Organized as Methodist Church Concord; had a house of worship before 1858. Present site was deeded to church Nov. 28, 1876, by E. S. Hull. This building was erected by men of community in winter of 1876-1877. About 1900 name was changed, to conform to local post office (named for first postmaster, Theodorick B. Wood, appointed Jan. 16, 1854). This church is one of oldest buildings in Panola County still in use. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1970