Andice Baptist Church
Andice, Williamson County, Texas
Marker Inscription
The Rev. Freeman Smalley, one of the first Baptists in Texas, preached in this area about 1850. This church was organized about 1851, meeting in a log schoolhouse built by Joshua Stapp and others, 1854-76; in a new school building, 1876-94; and in a structure of its own at Pilot Knob, 1894-1936. Successively called "Stapp," "White House," and "Pilot Knob" Baptist Church, the congregation moved to Andice in 1936. It now worships near the original site, where the first pastor, Josiah Andrews, used to hand his pistol on a peg on the hewn, oak-stump Bible stand while he preached.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
The Rev. Freeman Smalley, one of Texas's earliest Baptists, preached in this area around 1850, and the congregation organized about 1851 in a log schoolhouse. Known over the years as Stapp, White House, and Pilot Knob Baptist Church, it moved to Andice in 1936—carrying the memory of a first pastor who is said to have hung his pistol on the oak-stump Bible stand while he preached.
Why it matters
This church's rough-hewn beginnings, pistol and all, capture the hard, improvised faith of the Texas frontier as settlement pushed inland.
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Related people
- · Rev. Freeman Smalley
- · Joshua Stapp
- · Josiah Andrews
Themes & tags
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