First United Methodist Church, Grapevine
Grapevine, Tarrant County, Texas
Marker Inscription
In 1854, Nathan Hudgins, a circuit riding lay preacher, purchased acreage located in the middle of present-day Grapevine. Reverend Nathan Hudgins (also known as El Nathan Hudgins) was born May 10, 1814, and came to Texas in 1854 from Bellefonte, Alabama. The work of circuit rider was strenuous and dangerous and Hudgins began to conduct weekly and bi-weekly services from his home. Seeking a more permanent church organization, Hudgins arranged for the establishment of the Grapevine Methodist Episcopal Church, south in 1866. Worship was held in his home until 1873. In 1872, E.N. Hudgins and Susan L. Hudgins deeded two acres of land for a place of worship for members of the Grapevine Methodist Episcopal Church. The following year, a structure was erected but damaged by a windstorm in 1887. A new structure was built in 1901 complete with a bell tower and a stained glass window in honor of Reverend Hudgins who passed away that year. As attendance increased, so did the need for larger facilities. Over the years, multiple buildings were built, removed and/or renovated to accommodate the growing congregation. In 1968, to reflect the merging of the National Methodist Church and Evangelical United Brethren Church, the name was changed to the First United Methodist Church, Grapevine. Many ongoing ministries and community outreach programs solidify the church as a faithful servant of the grapevine community, providing service and love since grapevine’s establishment.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
In 1854 circuit-riding lay preacher Nathan Hudgins came from Alabama to Grapevine and began holding services in his own home, work that was both strenuous and dangerous on the Texas frontier. He helped organize the Grapevine Methodist Episcopal Church, South in 1866, and in 1872 he and his wife deeded two acres for a house of worship. A stained-glass window installed in 1901 honored Hudgins in the year of his death, and the merging denominations gave the church its present name in 1968.
Why it matters
The congregation preserves the story of the frontier circuit rider, the itinerant preacher who carried organized religion across a thinly settled Texas.
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Related people
- · Nathan Hudgins
- · Susan L. Hudgins
Themes & tags
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