Saint James African Methodist Episcopal Church
Denton, Denton County, Texas
Marker Inscription
In 1875 a group of black pioneers from the White Rock Community in Dallas moved to Denton County and named their settlement Freedman Town. Worship services, prayer groups, and Bible meetings were held in private homes. A minister among them, the Rev. M. P. Lambert, served the settlers until the Rev. J. B. Goins came in 1876 to organize the St. James African Methodist Episcopal Church. There were eighteen charter members in the congregation. The fellowship has provided significant service and leadership to the community and is an important part of the religious heritage of Denton County. (1985)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
In 1875, a group of Black pioneers left the White Rock community near Dallas and founded a settlement in Denton County they called Freedman Town. At first they gathered to worship in private homes, until the Rev. J. B. Goins organized the St. James African Methodist Episcopal Church in 1876 with eighteen charter members. For generations the congregation anchored the religious and civic life of the county's Black community.
Why it matters
Churches like St. James were the bedrock institutions freedpeople built for themselves after emancipation, providing worship, leadership, and community when little else was open to them.
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Related people
- · Rev. J. B. Goins
- · Rev. M. P. Lambert
Themes & tags
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