First United Methodist Church of Rockwall
Rockwall, Rockwall County, Texas
Marker Inscription
This congregation developed from early worship services conducted by area pioneers in the home of Mrs. Hugh Shaw. The church was formally organized in 1856, several years prior to the formation of Rockwall County. Constituted with less than twenty members under the direction of the Rev. J. A. Scruggs, the small fellowship met in the local Masonic lodge building until the first sanctuary was constructed at 102 North Fannin Street in 1874. The one-room frame structure featured a belfry and a tall steeple. During its first three decades, the First Methodist Church of Rockwall shared its ministers with other pioneer area Methodist churches. By 1887, however, membership in the First Methodist Church had grown such that the Rev. James McDugald was appointed to serve as the congregation's first full-time pastor. To accommodate the membership's continued growth, additional facilities were later built, and the church relocated to this site in 1981. For more than 100 years, the First United Methodist Church of Rockwall has sponsored many active organizations in its congregation which have provided great service and leadership to the community of Rockwall. Many descendants of the original fellowship continue to worship here. (1983)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
This Methodist congregation grew out of worship services held by area pioneers in the home of Mrs. Hugh Shaw and was formally organized in 1856, years before Rockwall County itself was created. Meeting first in the Masonic lodge, the small fellowship built its first steepled frame sanctuary in 1874 and gained its first full-time pastor by 1887 as the settlement matured.
Why it matters
The church charts the settlement of North Texas, its founding predating the county and its growth mirroring the community that rose around it.
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Related people
- · Mrs. Hugh Shaw
- · Rev. J. A. Scruggs
- · Rev. James McDugald
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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Rockwall, TX
First settled in the 1840s, this region remained part of Kaufman County until Rockwall County was created in 1873. At just 147 square miles, it is the smallest of Texas' 254 counties, and both county and town take their name from a curious underground rock formation discovered in the early 1850s. Crossed by the Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railroad, it long thrived as fertile farmland.
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