First United Methodist Church of Paris
Paris, Lamar County, Texas
Marker Inscription
The beginning of this congregation can be traced to 1843, when the Rev. James Graham organized the First Methodist Church in the area. It later took the name Centenary Methodist Episcopal Church, South. Meanwhile, another congregation, Lamar Avenue Methodist Church, was formed. After the destructive Paris fire of 1916, the two churches decided to form one central downtown congregation, and the merger became official in 1918. The Rev. Robert P. Shuler was appointed first pastor of the new congregation, now known as First United Methodist Church of Paris.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
This Paris, Texas, congregation traces its roots to 1843, when the Rev. James Graham organized an early Methodist church in the area that became Centenary Methodist Episcopal Church, South. After the devastating Paris fire of 1916, it merged with Lamar Avenue Methodist Church to form a single downtown congregation in 1918 under the Rev. Robert P. Shuler.
Why it matters
Its long history mirrors the growth of Methodism on the north Texas frontier and the way a community rebuilt its institutions after disaster.
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Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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