First Methodist Church of Corpus Christi
Corpus Christi, Nueces County, Texas
Marker Inscription
The Rev. John Haynie conducted Methodist worship services at Corpus Christi in 1846 as federal troops gathered in preparation for what would become the Mexican war. It was not until 1853, however, that a Methodist church was established in the city. That year the Rev. Henderson S. Lafferty directed formation of this congregation. The church's earliest building, the first constructed by a denomination in Corpus Christi, was a shellcrete structure located at the corner of Chaparral and Mann Streets. Situated on land purchased from Col. Henry L. Kinney, the founder of Corpus Christi, the congregation's early facilities served as a community center and schoolhouse. They were also used as an emergency hospital during the city's yellow fever epidemics of 1854 and 1867. With the construction of additional buildings, the original block served until 1955, when new facilities were completed on Shoreline Drive. The history of the First Methodist Church reflects the fellowship's steady growth, its active role in the establishment of several area congregations, a commitment to the development of the community and a dramatic influence on the quality of life in Corpus Christi.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Methodist worship first came to Corpus Christi in 1846, when Rev. John Haynie preached to a settlement swelling with federal troops gathering for the Mexican War, though a formal congregation was not organized until 1853. Built on land bought from town founder Col. Henry L. Kinney, the church's early shellcrete building was the first erected by any denomination in the city and served triple duty as a community center, schoolhouse, and emergency hospital during the yellow fever epidemics of 1854 and 1867. The congregation grew alongside the city, helping spawn several other area churches before moving to Shoreline Drive in 1955.
Why it matters
The church's story mirrors the birth of Corpus Christi itself, showing how a frontier congregation served as the young town's school, hospital, and civic heart.
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Related people
- · Rev. John Haynie
- · Rev. Henderson S. Lafferty
- · Col. Henry L. Kinney
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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