Brock Methodist Church
Brock, Parker County, Texas
Marker Inscription
In 1876 James and Sarah Maddux moved their family from Arkansas to Texas. They purchased land here and settled in this community originally named Olive Branch. In 1880 James and Sarah Maddux donated land for a school, cemetery and churches. The Methodist Church was established in 1882 with the Maddux family among the charter members. They first met in the brush arbor and later met in a log building and in a tabernacle, sharing meeting facilities with the Baptist Church. Worship services were conducted by visiting preachers until 1892 when the Rev. E.J. Maxwell became pastor of the church. In 1908 the cornerstone for a church building was laid and a sanctuary was constructed. By 1951 the congregation was declining. A new pastor and a few dedicated members began to rebuild the church. Later facilities were added and the sanctuary was refurbished. The congregation grew steadily and became active in domestic and foreign missionary activities and in many community outreach programs. Brock United Methodist Church provides traditional programs for its members and has been an integral part of the community for more than a century. (1997)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
In 1876 James and Sarah Maddux moved from Arkansas to this Parker County community, then called Olive Branch, and in 1880 donated land for a school, cemetery, and churches. The Methodist congregation they helped charter in 1882 met first in a brush arbor, then a log building, sharing quarters with the Baptists until it built its own sanctuary in 1908. Through decline and revival, the church has remained active in community life for well over a century.
Why it matters
The generosity of settler families like the Madduxes founded the churches and schools that gave frontier communities their permanence and identity.
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Related people
- · James Maddux
- · Sarah Maddux
- · E. J. Maxwell
Themes & tags
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