First Presbyterian Church
Galveston, Galveston County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Organized New Year's Day, 1840, in the "Academy," an old building on the northwest corner of this intersection. Rev. John McCullough, church organizer, became pastor. Original building was finished 1843; present structure started 1872; completed 1889. Following its escape from the great fire of 1885, church housed classes from schools which had burned. It withstood various storms until it was heavily damaged by hurricane Carla, 1961; restored, 1962. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1968
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Founded on New Year's Day 1840 in an old schoolhouse called the "Academy," First Presbyterian Church took root in Galveston when Texas was still an independent republic. Its congregation raised a first building by 1843 and the present sanctuary between 1872 and 1889, a structure that survived the great fire of 1885 and even sheltered burned-out schools afterward. Battered by decades of Gulf storms, it was heavily damaged by Hurricane Carla in 1961 and restored the next year.
Why it matters
As one of Galveston's oldest congregations, the church is a survivor of the fires and hurricanes that repeatedly tested the island, a landmark of resilience in Texas's most storm-battered port.
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Related people
- · John McCullough
Related events
- · Galveston fire of 1885
- · Hurricane Carla
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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