DUANE
Duane's take
The official marker's the word on this one, and here's how I tell it. Alright, settle in, because this story starts the way all the best Texas stories do — with one man, a horse, and a whole lot of open country. August 5, 1847.
A circuit rider by the name of A. B. F.
Kerr rides into Hays County and gathers nine souls together in the home of John D. Pitts. Nine charter members.
That's it. That's the whole congregation. And right there, in that house, the first church in Hays County is organized.
Not a building, not a steeple, not a bell — just nine people and a preacher and the kind of faith that doesn't wait for the walls to go up first. Now, a congregation that starts that way doesn't stay small forever. By 1849, they'd grown enough to move into a log house — and here's where it gets good — that one log house served as a church, a courthouse, and a school, all at once.
Hays County was doing a lot with a little back then. And to get there, those worshippers braved wild animals and Indians just to hold their services. Let that sit with you for a second.
These folks weren't strolling down a Sunday sidewalk. They were coming through. The years kept moving, and so did the church. 1855, the first actual church building goes up on the present site. 1872 brings a second building.
And then, in 1893, they build what's standing today — a Gothic revival structure that the marker itself calls an excellent example of that style. Started with nine people in a borrowed living room. Ended up with something worth preserving for the ages.
Hays County's first church didn't just survive — it became a landmark.
What the marker says
First church in Hays County. Organized August 5, 1847, with 9 charter members, by circuit rider A. B. F. Kerr in home of John D. Pitts. Growing congregation moved by 1849 to a log house used for church, courthouse, and school; braved wild animals and indians to hold worship. The first church building was erected on present site, 1855; second, 1872. Present building-- an excellent example of Gothic revival style-- was built in 1893. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1970