Central Christian Church of Comanche
Comanche, Comanche County, Texas
Marker Inscription
In 1855, Dr. G. W. Montgomery came to Comanche from Mississippi. He built a log cabin near his home, holding religious services there. In the late 1860s and 1870s the building was used for both a church and a school. It is believed that most members of this church transferred their membership to the Central Christian Church of Comanche after Dr. Montgomery's death. Organized in 1894 by a visiting evangelist and 31 charter members, the Central Christian Church of Comanche shared services with the Presbyterians. The Christian church's first pastor was Addison Clark, later president of Texas Christian University. In 1896, the congregation purchased a badly damaged Baptist church building for $475. By 1904 the church had moved into a new building. Several beloved pastors have served the congregation, including ministerial students. When the church was without a pastor, members served as lay ministers. Church women, always active, helped to pay all financial debts on both church buildings, organized maintenance projects, and founded Christian womens' assocations. The members of the Central Christian Church of Comanche continue a tradition of active worship and service to the community. (1997)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
The roots of this Comanche County congregation reach back to 1855, when Dr. G. W. Montgomery arrived from Mississippi and held frontier religious services in a log cabin that doubled as a church and school. The Central Christian Church itself was organized in 1894 by a visiting evangelist and 31 charter members, sharing services with the Presbyterians in the small-town Texas fashion of the Gilded Age. Its first pastor, Addison Clark, went on to lead Texas Christian University, and the congregation's women were the backbone that retired the debts on two church buildings.
Why it matters
Small-town churches like this one were the social and educational anchors of frontier Texas, and this congregation's tie to a future TCU president links a country pulpit to the rise of higher education in the state.
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Related people
- ¡ Dr. G. W. Montgomery
- ¡ Addison Clark
Themes & tags
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