Riviera United Methodist Church
Riviera, Kleberg County, Texas
Marker Inscription
On March 27, 1910, three years after Riviera was established, the Rev. C.W. Perkins organized this congregation with 31 charter members. Originally named Riviera Methodist Episcopal Church, South, the fellowship met in a one-room schoolhouse until the church building was completed in 1912. The congregation served a vegetable and citrus farming area that spread over 18,800 acres. Despite hurricanes and drought, which have caused the town to decline, the church, which continues to occupy its 1912 sanctuary, remains a major force in the community. (1983)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Founded in 1910, just three years after the town of Riviera itself, this congregation began with 31 charter members meeting in a one-room schoolhouse before building its sanctuary in 1912. The church anchored a sprawling South Texas district of vegetable and citrus farms. Through hurricanes and drought that shrank the town, it has held on in that same 1912 building.
Why it matters
It embodies the boom, hardship, and endurance of early-20th-century farm colonies planted across the South Texas coastal plain.
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Themes & tags
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