Sloan Memorial United Methodist Church
Houston, Harris County, Texas
Marker Inscription
One of the oldest Black Methodist churches in Houston, this congregation was started in 1880 by the Rev. Ed Roscoe, who served as the first pastor, with the assistance of the Rev. George Davis and the Rev. James Smith. The organizational meeting was held under a tent at this site. In 1881, church trustees Wash Breed, Robert Swiley, and Dick Thomas purchased the property from J. E. Foster, a local realtor. Since the land was located on Sloan Street, later renamed Sydnor, the original congregational name was Sloan Street Methodist Episcopal Church. The first sanctuary and parsonage were destroyed by fire in 1912. During construction of a new chapel, worship services were held in a frame building at the corner of Meadow and Nance. Additional facilities were completed during a 1950 building program. A significance force in the development of the local neighborhood since the 1880s, Sloan Memorial United Methodist Church has been active in community action programs. Members here have included several prominent business, professional, religious, and civic leaders of the area. (1981)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
One of the oldest Black Methodist churches in Houston, this congregation began in 1880 at an open-air meeting under a tent, led by the Rev. Ed Roscoe. The next year trustees Wash Breed, Robert Swiley, and Dick Thomas bought the property on Sloan Street—later Sydnor—giving the church its first name. Fire destroyed the original sanctuary in 1912, but the congregation rebuilt and, active in community programs, became a lasting force in the surrounding neighborhood.
Why it matters
Churches like Sloan Memorial were the organizing centers of African American community life and leadership in the post-Reconstruction South.
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Related people
- · Ed Roscoe
- · George Davis
- · James Smith
Themes & tags
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