Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church
Scurry, Kaufman County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Organized in 1860 during the Civil War era, this is one of the oldest active churches of Kaufman County. It was originally located at Mt. Olive Cemetery (1.5 mi. W) in a one-room log cabin which was also used for a school. The Rev. E. S. Colthorp served as the first pastor. The congregation moved here in 1896 to the growing railroad town of Scurry. The first building at this site, on land donated by D. L. Ford, was shared with other denominations and a school. A 2-story structure was built in 1918 and the present sanctuary was completed in 1968.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Organized in 1860 on the eve of the Civil War, Mount Olive is among the oldest active churches in Kaufman County. It began in a one-room log cabin at Mt. Olive Cemetery that doubled as a schoolhouse, with Rev. E. S. Colthorp as its first pastor. As the railroad town of Scurry grew, the congregation relocated here in 1896, sharing early buildings with other denominations and a school before raising its own sanctuaries in 1918 and again in 1968.
Why it matters
Its long life shows how a frontier congregation, doubling as school and gathering place, could anchor a rural Texas community for more than a century and a half.
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Themes & tags
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