Savoy Methodist Church
Savoy, Fannin County, Texas
Marker Inscription
This congregation traces its beginning to 1873, one year after William Savoy founded the town of Savoy on the Transcontinental (Texas & Pacific) Railroad line. Led by the Rev. James Graham, the members first met in the Roberts schoolhouse on the old Whitewright Road. They built their first sanctuary in 1876-1878, and it was one of the few buildings not destroyed when a tornado ravaged the town in 1880. A shared station with other area churches throughout its history, the Savoy church has emphasized educational and missionary activities.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
When William Savoy founded his town along the Transcontinental (Texas & Pacific) railroad in 1872, a Methodist congregation followed within a year. Led by the Rev. James Graham, its members first gathered in the Roberts schoolhouse before building a sanctuary in 1876-1878, one of the few structures to survive the tornado that tore through Savoy in 1880. Sharing a preaching circuit with neighboring churches, the congregation long stressed education and missions.
Why it matters
Savoy Methodist Church shows how the railroad, the schoolhouse, and the country church rose together to build community life in a new North Texas railroad town.
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Related people
- · William Savoy
- · James Graham
Related events
- · Savoy tornado (1880)
Themes & tags
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