First Baptist Church of Decatur
Decatur, Wise County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Organized in 1856 under the Rev. J.T. Willis, the church first met in the log cabin of Samuel Perrin in Taylorsville, now known as Decatur. From early on, members were active in the town. By the late 1880s, the Rev. J.F. Young preached both in this church and to Decatur’s African American community. Also during this time, the church worked closely with Northwest Texas Baptist College, forerunner of Decatur Baptist College. As membership grew, the congregation continued its area involvement. In 1956, the mayor pronounced a day in honor of Dr. R.E. Bell, a pastor of the church who was active in the community. The church continues to be an important spiritual and educational influence on Decatur. (2006)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Organized in 1856 under the Rev. J.T. Willis, this Baptist congregation first met in a Taylorsville log cabin in the town that became Decatur. By the late 1880s its pastor was preaching to both the white congregation and Decatur's African American community, and the church worked closely with the school that grew into Decatur Baptist College. Generations of pastors kept the congregation woven into the town's civic and educational life.
Why it matters
The church's early ties to Decatur Baptist College and its outreach across racial lines reflect the outsized role frontier congregations played in shaping education and community in small Texas towns.
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Related people
- · Rev. J.T. Willis
- · Rev. J.F. Young
- · Dr. R.E. Bell
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
East Side Elementary School
Decatur, TX
Established in 1882, East Side Elementary was the only school for African American students in Wise County, a one-room frame building near Mrs. Missouri Brown's home that also served as a church. Students warmed themselves at a pot-bellied stove and made do with furnishings and textbooks discarded by Decatur's white schools; those who finished eighth grade had to travel 30 to 45 miles to Denton or Fort Worth to continue. The school operated until desegregation in 1965.
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