First Presbyterian Church of Collegeport
Collegeport, Matagorda County, Texas
Marker Inscription
The town of Collegeport, on Tres Palacios Bay in Matagorda County, was planned by the Burton D. Hurd Land Company as a promotional scheme for selling the lands of J. E. and A. B. Pierce. The company provided land for a townsite and the creation of the Gulf Coast University of Industrial Arts. In November of 1909 community leaders joined together at the University's chapel to discuss the creation of Collegeport Federated Church. Representing fourteen denominations, the congregation's early mission was to unify the community and support a common church for all citizens. Murray A. Travis was called as the first pastor of the church. Pastor Travis had moved to Collegeport in 1909 from Canada to join his brother William H. Travis, and help with the development of university programs as dean. In addition to his university duties, Pastor travis also ran the COLLEGEPORT CHRONICLE, one of the area's first newspapers. In 1910 the congregation began work on their first sanctuary building at an estimated cost of $2,000. The five-room building was opened for services on November 27, 1910. Among the charter members who signed the first register were persons of Baptist, Methodist, Union, Universal, and Presbyterian backgrounds. For many years the church doubled as a schoolhouse and community center. In 1922 the congregation unanimously passed a resolution to join the Presbyterian church, U.S.A., and became the First Presbyterian Church of Collegeport. The congregation continued to use the 1910 sanctuary until 1955 when new facilities were built using materials and furnishings from the original church. (1999)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Collegeport was a planned townsite promoted by the Burton D. Hurd Land Company to sell Pierce family lands, complete with ground for a would-be Gulf Coast University of Industrial Arts. In 1909 leaders of fourteen denominations founded a federated church at the university chapel, calling as pastor Murray A. Travis, who also served as college dean and ran an early local newspaper. The congregation built a five-room sanctuary in 1910 that long doubled as schoolhouse and community center, and in 1922 formally joined the Presbyterian Church to become First Presbyterian of Collegeport.
Why it matters
The church reflects the boosterism of early-20th-century Texas land promotion and the pragmatic ecumenism of frontier towns, where a single congregation united settlers of many faiths.
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Related people
- · Murray A. Travis
- · Burton D. Hurd
Themes & tags
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