Kingston Baptist Church
Kingstone, Hunt County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Founded in 1880 by 26 charter members, this church was formed when the town of Kingston was created on the route of the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad. When the Gulf, Colorado, & Santa Fe Railroad built another line three miles north of here in 1886, growth in Kingston was halted. Many businesses moved to Celeste, the town formed at the new crossing. The church remained in Kingston, and built a second sanctuary in 1947. A new building was constructed in one week in 1985 by volunteers from Kingston area churches and East Mountain Baptist Church.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Kingston Baptist Church was founded in 1880 by 26 charter members when the town of Kingston sprang up along the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad. Kingston's growth stalled after 1886, when a competing Gulf, Colorado & Santa Fe line built three miles north and drew many businesses to the new town of Celeste. The church stayed put, however, rebuilding in 1947 and again in 1985, when volunteers from area congregations raised a new building in a single week.
Why it matters
The church's fortunes trace how the railroads made and unmade small Texas towns, and how a faithful congregation could outlast the very community that gave it birth.
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Themes & tags
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