First Christian Church of Garland
Garland, Dallas County, Texas
Marker Inscription
As the township of Duck Creek began to take shape in 1858, four denominations shared religious services in the Duck Creek schoolhouse. Area development was delayed by the onset of the Civil War, but by the 1870s the town was recovering. The Rev. W. B. Cole organized First Christian Church in 1875 with 21 charter members. They met in the schoolhouse for several years. In 1884, the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railroad missed Duck Creek by one mile. A new township called Embree sprang up beside the railroad line. In 1885, the Rev. W. B. Cole's son, Charles l. Cole, became the growing congregation's first full-time minister; the following year, church members erected their own house of worship. In 1888 the congregation purchased the land on this site and moved the church building here. The two townships incorporated in 1891 to become Garland. The congregation grew with the area. Between 1922 and 1924 a new brick building was erected. The church was remodeled and additions were made as needed. The congregation persevered despite the difficulties of the Depression era. From 1954 to 1964 the church established two new congregations, Monica Park and Western Heights Christian churches. The membership of the First Christian Church of Garland reached 1000 in the year 2000. At the dawn of the 21st century, the First Christian Church serves its congregation and the wider community with such outreach ministries as counseling services and offering free meeting space and financial aid to many nonprofit organizations. The First Christian Church of Garland continues in the traditions of its founders. (2000)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
As the village of Duck Creek took shape in 1858, four denominations shared the local schoolhouse, and in 1875 the Rev. W. B. Cole organized First Christian Church with 21 charter members. The community's fortunes shifted when the Santa Fe railroad missed Duck Creek by a mile in 1884, spawning the rival town of Embree; the two merged in 1891 to become Garland. The congregation built its own house of worship in 1886, moved it to this site, and grew steadily into a thousand-member church by 2000.
Why it matters
The church's story mirrors how the railroad redrew the map of North Texas, dissolving one town into another that a congregation helped anchor.
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Related people
- · W. B. Cole
- · Charles L. Cole
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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