Mount Olive Baptist Church
Arlington, Tarrant County, Texas
Marker Inscription
A small group of African American Tarrant County residents, led by the Rev. Mr. Squires, organized Mount Olive Baptist Church in the summer of 1897. Originally located on Indiana Street, the church moved to a new white brick sanctuary at 415 N. West Street in 1966, when the city of Arlington experienced a period of growth. The church had sixteen members in 1966, but soon the membership rolls began to increase. By 1976, when the church was formally incorporated, it had more than 400 members. Groundbreaking for a new church building took place on October 31, 1976, and by June 1978 the members were worshiping in a new facility. A steady increase in membership led to the building of additional facilities to house the extended ministries and programs of the church. By 1986, membership totaled 3,500. The church moved to new facilities on Sanford Street in 1989, and membership grew to 10,000 by 1997. In addition to its long history of providing worship and educational programs for its members, Mount Olive Baptist Church has maintained an innovative and active outreach program in the community. Celebrating a century of service in 1997, the church continues to uphold the values and traditions of its founders. (1997)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
In the summer of 1897, a small group of African American residents led by the Rev. Mr. Squires founded Mount Olive Baptist Church, first on Indiana Street in Arlington. From just sixteen members in 1966, the congregation grew explosively as Arlington boomed — passing 400 by 1976, 3,500 by 1986, and reaching 10,000 by 1997 — moving through ever-larger sanctuaries and building an active community outreach ministry along the way. In 1997 it marked a full century of service.
Why it matters
Mount Olive traces the endurance and dramatic 20th-century growth of a Black congregation, a cornerstone of African American community and faith life in a rapidly changing Texas city.
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Related people
- · Rev. Squires
Themes & tags
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