Bethlehem Baptist Church
Bonham, Fannin County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Organized in 1871 under the Revs. Billy Cox and H. E. Cleveland. First church was a log cabin on estate of Mrs. Annie Garrett, between Preston and Lee streets. In 1872 missionary society bought present lot. Building then here was remodeled by the Rev. N. L. Wirdlow and congregation. A new church was erected in 1926 during pastorate of the Rev. R. E. Jones. In 1949, present church was built while the Rev. U. S. Cornelius was minister. By 1952, mortgage on building was paid. On April 25, 1971, congregation celebrated centennial with the Rev. E. J. Rhodes as minister. (1972)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Organized in 1871 under the Revs. Billy Cox and H. E. Cleveland, Bethlehem Baptist Church began in a log cabin on Mrs. Annie Garrett's estate before the missionary society secured its own lot the next year. Across a century the congregation rebuilt three times, retiring its mortgage by 1952 and celebrating a hundred years of worship in 1971. Each rebuilding tracked the growth and endurance of a Fannin County community.
Why it matters
A congregation that meets, builds, and rebuilds for a century is a quiet measure of a community's continuity through generations of change.
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Related people
- · Billy Cox
- · H. E. Cleveland
- · Annie Garrett
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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