Hayden Baptist Church
Myrtle Springs, Van Zandt County, Texas
Marker Inscription
The organizational meeting for this congregation was held in October 1878. Led by Dr. George D. Staton, who also served as first pastor, the fourteen charter members adopted the name Myrtle Springs Baptist Church and agreed to meet monthly. A church building, constructed in 1889, served the congregation until 1900, when the meeting place was moved to the Cow Prairie schoolhouse, which was located near this site. Four years later, the fellowship built a new sanctuary and adopted the name Hayden Baptist Church. The pioneer church continues to serve the surrounding rural area. (1985)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
In October 1878, fourteen charter members led by Dr. George D. Staton gathered to organize a Baptist congregation, first named Myrtle Springs Baptist Church, agreeing to meet once a month as rural fellowships did. They built a church in 1889, worshipped for a time at the Cow Prairie schoolhouse, and in 1904 raised a new sanctuary and took the name Hayden Baptist Church. The pioneer congregation has served this stretch of Van Zandt County ever since.
Why it matters
Small rural churches like this one were the social backbone of the post-Reconstruction Texas countryside, binding scattered farm families into a community across generations.
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Related people
- · Dr. George D. Staton
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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