First Presbyterian Church
Weslaco, Hidalgo County, Texas
Marker Inscription
In 1920, area Presbyterians built a manse under the supervision of the Rev. Horace N. Cunningham; services were held in the building. In January 1921, seven charter members organized First Presbyterian Church. They completed a church building in 1923; it was replaced in 1951 by a larger church, designed by noted area architect and church member, William C. Baxter. Members have long worked with the needy, including outreach activities for low-income residents on the U. S. - Mexico border. The congregation also supported organization of the Spanish-speaking San Pablo Presbyterian Church. Today, First Presbyterian Church of Weslaco continues to serve as a spiritual leader in the community. (2010)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Presbyterians in the young Rio Grande Valley town of Weslaco built a manse in 1920 and organized First Presbyterian Church with seven charter members in 1921. Their first sanctuary rose in 1923 and was replaced in 1951 by a larger building designed by local architect and member William C. Baxter. The congregation became known for serving the poor along the U.S.-Mexico border and helped establish the Spanish-speaking San Pablo Presbyterian Church.
Why it matters
It reflects the faith communities that took root in the rapidly settled Rio Grande Valley and their outreach across the cultures of the borderlands.
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Related people
- · Horace N. Cunningham
- · William C. Baxter
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
First United Methodist Church
Weslaco, TX
In early 1921 Methodists around the new Valley town of Weslaco organized their own congregation, and by that November had raised a wooden church, replacing it with a red brick building in 1925 and the present sanctuary in the 1950s. Beyond worship, the congregation helped found Knapp Memorial Methodist Hospital and the retirement community now known as John Knox Village. Its outreach and aid to neighboring Spanish-language congregations knit the young community together.
First Baptist Church of Weslaco
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Saint Joan of Arc Catholic Church
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Saint Joan of Arc began in 1921 as a mission of Mercedes' Our Lady of Mercy, tending to the Catholic families of the fast-growing lower Rio Grande Valley. It became a full parish in 1929 and, from 1940 to 1968, ran a parochial school that launched many students into professional life. The parish went on to seed other congregations and outreach ministries across the region.
Our Lady of Mercy Cemetery
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