First United Methodist Church of Goliad
Goliad, Goliad County, Texas
Marker Inscription
This historic congregation was organized in the 1840s. In 1859, the Goliad Circuit of the Methodist Church reported 166 members, the largest membership in the Rio Grande Conference. Some African Americans worshipped with Anglo Methodists before emancipation until 1872, when the first African American church was organized in Goliad. More than eighty pastors have served the church, some as circuit riders that also served the Methodist church in Fannin. The early congregation had no building but worshipped with Presbyterians in the Jackson home. The first church building was built around 1852 on the corner of Jefferson and Pearl. In line with their interest in education, the church sold their building to the Paine Female Institute in exchange for use of the 2nd floor auditorium. After the institute was sold, the congregation acquired property and built a carpenter Gothic style frame church at Pearl and Mechanic (Chilton) streets. On May 18, 1902, the church was completely destroyed when an F4 tornado struck. Soon, the church was rebuilt using wood from the former building. Danish-born architect, Jules Leffland, designed the church, along with homes and several downtown buildings. A wood steeple, Gothic-detailed window and door facings, and stained glass windows decorate the building. Several additions were made over the years, including an educational building, parsonage and fellowship hall. The First United Methodist Church of Goliad continues to enrich the spiritual life of the area, as well as have a great effect on the moral, cultural and educational development of the community. (2013)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Organized in the 1840s when Goliad was a young frontier town, this Methodist congregation first worshipped in a private home alongside Presbyterians before raising its own building around 1852. By 1859 the Goliad Circuit claimed the largest membership in its conference, and Black and white members worshipped together until 1872, when Goliad's first African American church was organized. An F4 tornado leveled the building in 1902, and it was rebuilt from the salvaged wood to a Gothic design by Danish-born architect Jules Leffland.
Why it matters
The congregation's arc — shared then separate Black and white worship, a devastating tornado, and repeated rebuilding — mirrors the religious, racial, and civic life of a South Texas town across the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
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Related people
- · Jules Leffland
Related events
- · 1902 Goliad tornado
Themes & tags
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