First Baptist Church of Mt. Calm
Mt. Calm, Hill County, Texas
Marker Inscription
In 1878, under the leadership of the Rev. Dr. J. J. Riddle, members of the Mt. Antioch Church organized this congregation. At that time Mt. Calm village was located at present Old Town. In 1884, with the coming of the St. Louis and Southwestern Railroad the church was moved to this site. The fellowship built a new church house about 1900, during the ministry of the Rev. J. Frank Norris (1877-1954). In 1940 a fire destroyed that building. The Mt. Antioch Church, having declined over the years, merged in 1949 with the Mt. Calm membership. In 1954 this structure was completed.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
This Baptist congregation grew out of the older Mt. Antioch Church in 1878, gathered under the Rev. Dr. J. J. Riddle. When the St. Louis and Southwestern Railroad reached the area in 1884, the church followed the town to its new trackside site — a common pattern as Texas communities reorganized around the rails. It weathered a 1940 fire and a 1949 merger with its declining parent church before the present building rose in 1954.
Why it matters
Its history captures how the railroad literally moved and reshaped small Texas towns and the institutions at their heart.
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Related people
- · J. J. Riddle
- · J. Frank Norris
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
Mt. Calm Methodist Church
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