McDade Baptist Church
McDade, Bastrop County, Texas
Marker Inscription
McDade Baptist Church This congregation was organized on July 18, 1880, under the leadership of the Rev. J. D. Wright, who also served as first pastor. Originally known as the McDade Baptist Church of Christ, the fellowship worshiped in a union church building shared with other denominations. In 1900, the Baptists purchased the Union Building from the other congregations, and it served as the church's sanctuary until 1948, when an army chapel, purchased from nearby Camp Swift, was moved to this site. With an emphasis on worship and education, the McDade Baptist church has been a strong part of the community's cultural and religious history. (2002)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Organized on July 18, 1880, under the Rev. J. D. Wright, this Baptist congregation first worshiped in a shared union church building in the small railroad town of McDade. The Baptists bought that building outright in 1900 and used it until 1948, when they moved an army chapel purchased from nearby Camp Swift onto this site, tying the church's story to the World War II installation next door.
Why it matters
A rural congregation's century of shared and repurposed buildings mirrors how small Texas towns—and the wartime camps beside them—shaped local community life.
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Related people
- · Rev. J. D. Wright
Themes & tags
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