First United Methodist Church of Centerville
Centerville, Leon County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Circuit riders Henry H. Cassady and George W. Tittle served local Methodists before a formal church organized in 1850. H. D. Hubert was the first appointed preacher in 1853. The congregation met in a schoolhouse before building a sanctuary in 1871. The church reported 290 members at the time. In 1921 workers razed the church and built a new sanctuary and bell tower. During World War II, Pastor Weldon Morton became an army chaplain and members Cecil Lemons and Roland Knight were killed in action. The church campus and programs have grown over the years. Today, the oldest church in Centerville continues to serve its community as a spiritual beacon of light. 175 years of Texas Independence * 1836-2011
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Before Centerville had a formal congregation, traveling circuit riders like Henry Cassady and George Tittle carried Methodism to this Texas frontier, and in 1850 the church organized in earnest. Worshippers met in a schoolhouse until their first sanctuary rose in 1871, and a grander building with a bell tower replaced it in 1921. The congregation felt the reach of World War II directly when its pastor became an army chaplain and two members were killed in action.
Why it matters
As Centerville's oldest church, it embodies the way itinerant preachers planted lasting institutions across frontier Texas—and how even small-town congregations bore the costs of national wars.
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Related people
- · Henry H. Cassady
- · George W. Tittle
- · Weldon Morton
Related events
- · World War II
Themes & tags
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