Bastrop Methodist Church
Bastrop, Bastrop County, Texas
Marker Inscription
The nucleus of the present church was formed in 1835 by lay preacher James Gilleland at a time when very few Texans dared to defy Mexican laws outlawing Protestant worship. The first building for this church was erected 1851, one block northwest of here. Cost of land (farm lot) was $250. The present structure was initiated in 1924, renovated in 1953. Sanctuary now contains chancel altar rail, pews, and memorial windows from the 1851 church, thus the old and new are blended here, making this building an historic landmark. (1968)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
This Methodist congregation traces its roots to 1835, when lay preacher James Gilleland gathered worshipers at a time when Mexican law still forbade Protestant services—an act of quiet defiance on the eve of the Texas Revolution. The church built its first sanctuary in 1851 and its present structure in 1924, carrying the older building's altar rail, pews, and memorial windows forward so the old and new stand blended together.
Why it matters
The church's founding captures the religious dimension of Anglo settlement in Mexican Texas, when worship itself could be an act of resistance.
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Related people
- · James Gilleland
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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