Site of Oak Grove Methodist Church
Bedford, Tarrant County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Named for its wooded site at the time of its founding in early 1886, Oak Grove Methodist Church was organized with 30 members and was one of five churches on the Keller Circuit. A building acquired from another church was moved onto the property in 1887. Members built a brush arbor for summer meetings and revivals, which were attended by community members of all faiths. Some Oak Grove members formed Colleyville Methodist Church in 1924. Most Colleyville members continued to attend Oak Grove services for many years. In 1925 the early house of worship was replaced. Oak Grove had 99 members in 1935. As population centers changed, Oak Grove's membership declined. By 1949 the church had only twelve members, and it was dissolved early that year. Its last building was moved to Colleyville and used by that congregation from 1950 to 1961. (2000)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Named for the wooded grove where it began in early 1886, Oak Grove Methodist Church started with 30 members as one of five churches on the Keller Circuit, complete with a brush arbor for summer revivals that drew neighbors of every faith. It gave rise to the Colleyville Methodist Church in 1924, but as population centers shifted, Oak Grove's own membership dwindled — from 99 in 1935 to just twelve by 1949, when it was dissolved. Its last building was moved to Colleyville and used there into the 1960s.
Why it matters
Oak Grove's rise and quiet dissolution capture the full life cycle of a rural frontier congregation, remembered now by the marker that stands where it once gathered.
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Themes & tags
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