First Baptist Church of Jefferson
Jefferson, Marion County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Organized in 1855 as the Missionary Baptist Church, this congregation chose the Rev. George B. Tucker as its first pastor. Worship services were originally held in the Union House at city park, Freeman Hall, Judge Patillo's schoolhouse, and the Methodist and Presbyterian churches. The Rev. D. B. Culberson (1796-1862) served as the second pastor, 1857-1859. He was the father of Congressman David B. Culberson (1830-1900) and grandfather of Governor Charles A. Culberson (1855-1925). The fellowship erected a two-story brick church building on this property in 1869. It was the meeting place in May 1874 of the Southern Baptist Convention, with over 1000 in attendance. It was also the site of an 1877 revival led by Evangelist William E. Penn, a member of this congregation. In 1898 the fellowship split. Pat of the members formed Howelltown Baptist Church; the remainder continued to worship in the brick church until about 1917. The Howelltown congregation adopted the name Central Baptist in 1924. After the two groups reunited in 1937 as the First Baptist Church, members restored and reoccupied the 1869 structure. When it burned in 1944, a new church was erected. Educational facilities were added in 1951 and 1973.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Organized in 1855 as a Missionary Baptist congregation, this Jefferson church grew alongside one of antebellum Texas's busiest river ports. Its early pastors included D. B. Culberson, father and grandfather of a Texas congressman and governor, and in 1874 its brick sanctuary drew more than a thousand delegates to the Southern Baptist Convention. Through a split, a reunion, and a 1944 fire, the congregation endured.
Why it matters
The church's history threads through Texas's political dynasties and the growth of Southern Baptist life, mirroring the rise of a frontier port into an established town.
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Related people
- · George B. Tucker
- · D. B. Culberson
- · David B. Culberson
- · Charles A. Culberson
- · William E. Penn
Related events
- · Southern Baptist Convention, 1874
Themes & tags
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