First Baptist Church of Poynor
Poynor, Henderson County, Texas
Marker Inscription
The Texas & New Orleans Railroad laid out the town of Poynor when it reached the area in 1901. The post office opened the following year, and the town immediately began to grow. Early residents met in a Union church building for worship services, and two congregations soon formed, one Baptist and one Church of Christ. Seven Poynor residents met on August 21, 1904 to organize what began as a Missionary Baptist congregation. Elder W.W. Hall led the new church, and James P. Thrasher served as the first church clerk, a position he held for many years. Church pastors preached once a month until 1925, when the congregation added a second service. In 1923, congregation members purchased the land where the church building stood and continued to expand with additional land and new facilities over the next decades. The church's membership increased after Hunt Oil Company opened a gas plant nearby, encouraging younger members to stay in the community. Congregants have been active within both the church and Poynor. Many members were local educators, and their work carried over into religious education, which is offered for all ages. Others were community leaders and officials, including mayors, city council members and postmistresses. First Baptist Church has also provided holiday programs for the community. At its centennial, Poynor's First Baptist Church continued to grow, using funds from the estate of Mae Thrasher Hamilton (d. 1991) to further expand its amenities, as well as its programs, which support both its members and the larger community. (2004)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Poynor sprang up in 1901 when the Texas & New Orleans Railroad reached this corner of Henderson County, and worship followed quickly — seven residents gathered in August 1904 to organize a Missionary Baptist congregation. Under Elder W.W. Hall and clerk James P. Thrasher, the church grew from monthly preaching to a fixture of town life, its ranks later swelled by families who stayed when a nearby gas plant opened. Generations of members served as teachers, mayors, and postmistresses.
Why it matters
It reflects how railroad towns across rural America built their civic and spiritual life around a founding congregation, binding faith, education, and local leadership together for a century.
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Related people
- · W.W. Hall
- · James P. Thrasher
- · Mae Thrasher Hamilton
Related events
- · Founding of Poynor by the Texas & New Orleans Railroad (1901)
Themes & tags
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