Damascus Missionary Baptist Church
Houston, Harris County, Texas
Marker Inscription
This congregation traces its history to 1866, when the Rev. I. S. Campbell was sent by the National Baptist Convention to organize African American churches in Texas immediately following the Civil War. Assisted by Joseph Smalley, Campbell organized Damascus Missionary Baptist Church to serve residents of the West End and Chaneyville neighborhoods, later part of Houston's Sixth Ward. The Rev. Thomas Louis Hansborough served as the first pastor of the new church, which met in the home of a member until a sanctuary was built at Center and Leverkuhn streets. In 1885, church trustees purchased property on the west side of Court Street, near Center Street, and a new church building was erected at the site in 1893. The structure was destroyed by storms in 1900 and 1915 and was rebuilt each time. The congregation purchased nearby property at 3122 Center Street in 1926 and new structures were erected at the site in 1939 and 2007. Throughout its history, Damascus Missionary Baptist Church has served the community with missionary, worship, educational and civic outreach programs. Auxiliary organizations organized by members of the congregation include the Business and Professional Women of Damascus, The Damascus Christian Education Committee and the Willing Workers organization. A scholarship fund, a bereavement ministry and a food and clothing pantry have also been established by the congregation to provide Christian outreach to the community. Some church members represent families who have been associated with the congregation from the time of its organization. (1992, 2009)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Damascus Missionary Baptist Church was born in 1866, in the raw aftermath of the Civil War, when the National Baptist Convention sent the Rev. I. S. Campbell to organize African American churches across Texas. Founded to serve freedpeople in Houston's West End and Chaneyville neighborhoods, it met first in a member's home before building a series of sanctuaries, each rebuilt after storms flattened them in 1900 and 1915. Through generations of missionary, educational, and civic outreach, the congregation has served its community for more than a century and a half.
Why it matters
As one of the earliest Black congregations organized in freedom, Damascus embodies the way emancipated communities built independent churches that became the bedrock of Black civic and spiritual life.
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Related people
- · I. S. Campbell
- · Joseph Smalley
- · Thomas Louis Hansborough
Themes & tags
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