Methodist Church
Chappell Hill, Washington County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Organized prior to 1847. First pastor, Robert Alexander, had been a missionary in Texas since 1837. Original church built in 1853; was destroyed in great storm of 1900; rebuilt in 1901, constructed of pine. Memorial inscription placed in window in honor of Dr. Alexander, a member of the Texas Conference for 45 years. Texas Methodist Conference sessions were held in Chappell Hill six times: 1847, 1854, 1860, 1865, 1870 and 1878.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
This Methodist congregation was organized before 1847 under Robert Alexander, a missionary who had labored in Texas since 1837, and raised its first church in 1853. The pine sanctuary was destroyed in the catastrophic 1900 storm and rebuilt the next year, with a memorial window honoring Alexander's long service. Chappell Hill's standing in Texas Methodism is shown by the six statewide conferences held here between 1847 and 1878.
Why it matters
It reflects how frontier churches and their circuit-riding missionaries anchored community life and denominational organization across nineteenth-century Texas.
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Related people
- · Robert Alexander
Themes & tags
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