First Baptist Church of San Marcos
San Marcos, Hays County, Texas
Marker Inscription
City's third oldest congregation. Pioneer in church-related education. Organized Oct. 25, 1857, by the Rev. Milton Caperton, a missionary. Charter members: J. J. Barbee, Mrs. Mary Barbee, Maj. and Mrs. William Barbee, Shadrack Dixon, Jonathon Ellison, Mrs. Hattax, Mrs. Claiborne Kyle (who, according to tradition, walked 6 miles to worship here). First resident pastor (1878) was the Rev. H. M. Burroughs. After meeting for years in borrowed or rented quarters, congregation erected first building of its own in 1881, under leadership of the Rev. Barnett Hatcher. Larger church buildings were erected in 1892 and 1902. Under its 1906-1914 pastor, the Rev. B. A. Copass, the church founded and opened (1908) San Marcos Baptist Academy-- an institution that is still prospering. After a destructive 1909 fire, a converted skating rink became the Baptist Tabernacle. Present church, completed in 1928, has been enlarged several times. During its first century, the congregation of First Baptist Church was host to programs featuring some internationally-known, popular orators, including U. S. Senator Joseph Weldon Bailey, presidential aspirant William Jennings Bryan, Evangelist George W. Truett, U. S. Senator Morris Sheppard, and others.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Organized in 1857 by a traveling missionary, this congregation grew from worship in borrowed rooms into one of San Marcos's leading churches, raising ever-larger buildings across half a century. In 1908 its pastor founded the San Marcos Baptist Academy, cementing the church's role as a pioneer of church-related education in central Texas. Its pulpit and platform drew nationally known orators, including William Jennings Bryan and evangelist George W. Truett.
Why it matters
It shows how frontier-era congregations became engines of community and education, shaping the civic and intellectual life of a growing Texas town.
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Related people
- · Rev. Milton Caperton
- · Rev. B. A. Copass
- · William Jennings Bryan
- · George W. Truett
Related events
- · Founding of San Marcos Baptist Academy
Themes & tags
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