Lane Chapel C.M.E. Church
Lewisville, Denton County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Anthony Hembry and six charter members, all former slaves, organized Lewisville Colored Methodist Episcopal (C. M. E.) Church in 1882. Lewisville had the largest African American population in Denton County and this church, called Lane Chapel after 1902 for Bishop Isaac Lane, was a significant social center. Other C. M. E. churches formed with the encouragement of this congregation. As rural Americans migrated to larger cities in the 1920s-1940s, the black population of Lewisville diminished and church membership dwindled. The church survived the late 20th century through donations and funds from other C. M. E. churches and the devotion of Lane Chapel members. A strong ministry in the 1990s led to a revival for Lane Chapel, and by the beginning of the 21st century membership had increased. (2000)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
In 1882 Anthony Hembry and six charter members—all formerly enslaved—organized this Colored Methodist Episcopal congregation in Lewisville, then home to Denton County's largest African American population. Renamed Lane Chapel in 1902 for Bishop Isaac Lane, the church became a vital social anchor and helped spawn other C.M.E. congregations. As Black residents left for the cities during the Great Migration of the 1920s–40s, membership shrank, but the devotion of its members and support from sister churches carried Lane Chapel to a revival by the new century.
Why it matters
Lane Chapel embodies the churches that freedpeople built after emancipation as centers of worship, community, and mutual support—and the resilience of Black institutions through the Great Migration.
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Related people
- · Anthony Hembry
- · Bishop Isaac Lane
Related events
- · Great Migration
Themes & tags
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