Purmela Baptist Church
Gatesville, Coryell County, Texas
Marker Inscription
This congregation traces its history to 1886, when the Rev. W. M. Blakely and ten charter members organized the Basham Baptist Church in the old Basham School Building at the Smith Cemetery (ca. 1.7 Mi. S). Basham Baptist Church merged with Salem Baptist Church (also known as Round Valley Baptist Church) in 1901, and the new consolidated congregations built a sanctuary at Cravey Crossing on Cowhouse Creek (ca. 2 mi SW). The church's name was changed to Cravey Crossing Baptist Church. Worship services were held once a month, and baptismal services were conducted in the creek. In 1927, after the congregation voted to relocate to this site, the Cravey Crossing Church building was dismantled and rebuilt here by volunteers. The name was changed to Purmela Baptist Church when construction was completed in 1928, and soon worship services were conducted weekly. Throughout its history, this church has served members in a large rural area. The church facilities have been enlarged over the years to serve the growing congregation, which continues to maintain many of its historic traditions. (1991)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
This congregation traces its roots to the 1886 organization of Basham Baptist Church in an old schoolhouse near Smith Cemetery. Through mergers and moves, it worshiped at Cravey Crossing, where baptisms were held in the creek, before the congregation voted in 1927 to relocate, dismantling and rebuilding its sanctuary by volunteer labor. Renamed Purmela Baptist Church when the work was finished in 1928, it has served a wide rural area ever since.
Why it matters
The church's repeated mergers and physical relocations trace how scattered rural congregations pooled resources to sustain worship across sparsely settled Central Texas.
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Related people
- · Rev. W. M. Blakely
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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Bethel Heights Baptist Church
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King Baptist Church
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