Central Baptist Church
Livingston, Polk County, Texas
Marker Inscription
The Baptists of Livingston established Ariel Baptist Church circa 1852. The church petitioned for membership in the Bethlehem Association, which consisted of nine Texas counties, in 1855. Ariel Baptist Church belonged to a series of later associations until serving as a founding congregation of the Unity Baptist Association circa 1908. The church has also changed names through the years; it became Livingston Baptist Church after the Civil War, and changed to Central Baptist Church in 1917. From the time of its founding until 1887, the church shared a building with other congregations in Livingston, but in that year, Mrs. Susan Hunt and Mrs. Patience Watts sold Livingston City Block 41 to the church, and the two women contributed one third of the $75 purchase price. The church's first permanent structure was completed in early 1888. A second structure of red brick was constructed at the site in 1906, and several additional buildings have been added to the church's physical plant through the years. The church has been active in missions, educational programs and outreach in the community throughout its history. The Ladies' Aid Society was established in 1904, and a men's organization known as the Brotherhood was active for many years. In 1911, a church newspaper, the Livingston Baptist Helper, began publication. The church contributed toward the Unity Association's purchase of the Piney Woods Baptist encampment at Woodlake in 1945 and continues to contribute towards its support. In the 1980s, the church began radio and television ministries. Since 2002, the church has sponsored a school of the arts, which offers instruction and personal development in music and the arts. (2009)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
The Baptists of Livingston founded Ariel Baptist Church around 1852, and the congregation has carried several names since — Livingston Baptist after the Civil War, and Central Baptist from 1917. In 1887 two women, Susan Hunt and Patience Watts, helped buy the church its first lot, and its first permanent building rose the next year. Across the decades the church built ministries in missions, education, publishing, and eventually radio and television.
Why it matters
A congregation that has continuously served one town since before the Civil War charts the long religious and civic life of rural East Texas.
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Related people
- · Susan Hunt
- · Patience Watts
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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