First Christian Church
Arlington, Tarrant County, Texas
Marker Inscription
This congregation traces its origin to a small group of Christians gathered together by the Rev. William H. Wright in the young town of Arlington in 1882. In its first century it has involved into one of Arlington's leading religious institutions whose Bible lectures, educational services, and social and musical ministries reach into the local community and beyond. The Rev. Mr. Wright formally organized First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in 1890. The congregation erected its first sanctuary in 1895-96 on two lots at the corner of Mesquite and South Streets purchased by church trustees in 1892. Three church members who helped found Arlington College (The University of Texas at Arlington) in 1895 began a close association with the University which continues today. First Christian built a new church building at the corner of Abram and Mesquite in 1919 and called their first full-time pastor in 1948. The congregation moved to a new brick sanctuary here in 1957. First Christian helped establish Rush Creek Christian Church in 1977 and Saint Andrew Christian Church in 1988. The congregation continues to serve the community with a variety of social programs, including Mother's Day Out, pastoral counseling, and televised ministries. (1993)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
First Christian Church grew from a small band of believers gathered by the Rev. William H. Wright in young Arlington in 1882, formally organized as a Disciples of Christ congregation in 1890. Three of its members helped found Arlington College in 1895—the institution that became the University of Texas at Arlington—beginning a bond with the school that endures today. Over its first century the church built successively larger sanctuaries and grew into one of the city's leading institutions.
Why it matters
The congregation's role in founding Arlington College ties it directly to the origins of a major Texas university and the educational growth of the region.
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Related people
- · Rev. William H. Wright
Related events
- · Founding of Arlington College (UT Arlington)
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
The University of Texas at Arlington
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The University of Texas at Arlington grew from a string of modest private schools and military academies, beginning with Arlington College in an 1895 frame building. It passed through Carlisle Military Academy, an Arlington Training School, and Arlington Military Academy before becoming a state institution in 1917 as Grubbs Vocational College, affiliated with Texas A&M. Through successive names — North Texas Agricultural College, Arlington State College — it joined the University of Texas System in 1965 and took its present name in 1967, growing into the System's second-largest university.
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