First Baptist Church of Mount Vernon
Mt. Vernon, Franklin County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Led by Baptist missionary William M. Pickett, this congregation was organized on Oct. 5, 1849, one year after the Mount Vernon Post Office was established. Early worship services were held in a log building located about one-half mile east of the Franklin County Courthouse. Originally known as New Liberty, the congregation adopted the name Mount Vernon Baptist Church in 1870. The church has had a number of outstanding members and pastors, including the Rev. Joshua F. Johnson, who later served as a member of the 1861 Secession Convention in Austin. (1984)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Organized on October 5, 1849, under the Baptist missionary William M. Pickett, this congregation first gathered in a log building east of what is now the Franklin County Courthouse, only a year after the Mount Vernon post office opened. Originally called New Liberty, it took the name Mount Vernon Baptist Church in 1870. Its early roll included the Rev. Joshua F. Johnson, who would sit as a delegate at the 1861 Secession Convention in Austin.
Why it matters
A frontier congregation whose members helped shape Texas's fateful decision to secede, this church shows how local faith communities were woven into the era's largest political struggles.
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Related people
- · William M. Pickett
- · Joshua F. Johnson
Related events
- · 1861 Secession Convention
Themes & tags
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