First United Methodist Church of Wichita Falls
Wichita Falls, Wichita County, Texas
Marker Inscription
This congregation, the first to be organized in Wichita Falls, began in March 1881 at the home of Alfred H. Harris, with F. O. Miller as pastor, six charter members held services in a log schoolhouse and later in the courthouse. Two sanctuaries were erected to serve the growing membership before this building was completed in 1928. Designed by Houston architect William Ward Watkin, the building features Gothic revival styling. (Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1983.)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Wichita Falls's first congregation gathered in March 1881 in the home of Alfred H. Harris, where six charter members and pastor F. O. Miller met before moving to a log schoolhouse and then the courthouse. As the young railroad town swelled, the Methodists outgrew two sanctuaries before completing this Gothic Revival building in 1928, designed by Houston architect William Ward Watkin. Its rise tracks the transformation of a frontier settlement into a North Texas city.
Why it matters
The church's growth from a log schoolhouse to a landmark sanctuary charts the settlement and maturing of a Texas railroad town.
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Related people
- · Alfred H. Harris
- · F. O. Miller
- · William Ward Watkin
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
Wichita Falls Bank Robbery of 1896
Wichita Falls, TX
On a February afternoon in 1896, cowboys Foster Crawford and Elmer "Kid" Lewis robbed the City National Bank in Wichita Falls, killing cashier Frank Dorsey and fleeing with about $410. A posse of citizens and Texas Rangers ran them down that night, but the law's work was undone the next evening when a mob dragged the pair from jail and lynched them before the bank. The episode captured the raw and volatile justice of the frontier town.
First Baptist Church of Wichita Falls
Wichita Falls, TX
Founded in 1883 with just eight charter members meeting in a log schoolhouse, this Baptist congregation grew alongside the young North Texas town of Wichita Falls. The classically styled sanctuary seen today—the congregation's third home—was begun in 1919 and finished two years later, a permanent statement of a frontier church that had put down deep roots. It was recognized as a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1982.
First County Officials
Wichita Falls, TX
The first Anglo-American settlers reached Wichita County in 1856, but frontier conflict with Native peoples—for whom the county was named—delayed its formal organization until 1882. That year residents finally seated a full slate of officials, from Judge James S. Akers and Attorney Robert E. Huff down to the inspector of hides and animals. The roster captures the moment a raw frontier district became a functioning county.
Joseph Hudson Barwise
Wichita Falls, TX
An Ohio native, Joseph Hudson Barwise brought his family to Wichita County in 1880 and became one of its guiding figures. He earned the nickname "Father of Wichita Falls" by donating land to lure the Fort Worth and Denver City Railway through the area, ensuring the young town's growth. A three-term county judge and tireless booster, Barwise helped shape the community before his burial in Riverside Cemetery.