Azle Christian Church
Azle, Tarrant County, Texas
Marker Inscription
This congregation grew from worship services conducted here in the 1880s on land donated by Dr. Azle Stewart, for whom the town was named. Organized in 1890, the Fellowship met under a brush arbor until 1893, when the first sanctuary was completed. The earliest youth organization for the church was the Christian Endeavor, started about 1904. Members of that group established the first Public Library for Azle in the home of Valera Huster. Additions were later made to the original structure and a new sanctuary was built in 1974. (1980)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Growing from open-air services in the 1880s on land given by the town's namesake, Dr. Azle Stewart, this congregation organized in 1890 and worshiped under a brush arbor until its first sanctuary rose in 1893. Its young people did more than pray: the church's youth society founded Azle's first public library, housed in a member's home. Small-town churches often seeded the civic institutions that came after them.
Why it matters
It is a reminder that libraries, schools, and other public goods on the frontier frequently began as volunteer projects of a local congregation.
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Related people
- · Azle Stewart
- · Valera Huster
Themes & tags
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