St. James' Episcopal Church
Hallettsville, Lavaca County, Texas
Marker Inscription
The community of Hallettsville began in 1836, when Margaret Hallett donated land for the townsite. By that time, there were several families living in the area, and settlement increased throughout the 19th century. In July 1875, Gen. Arthur Pendleton Bagby and his wife Frances (Taylor) asked the Rev. Thomas J. Morris, a missionary out of Columbus, to come to Hallettsville and baptize their six children. Later that year, the Rt. Rev. R.W.B. Elliott, missionary bishop of Western Texas, visited Hallettsville, and in 1876 the congregation known as St. James' was accepted into the Diocese of West Texas. Church members initially met in the Odd Fellows Lodge hall, which was also known as St. James' Missionary Hall. In 1880, the congregation purchased a lot on East Third Street, and through the efforts of Mary Kroschel, Jane Viser, and the Bagby family, the church constructed its first sanctuary the next year. Many of the active early congregation members were commemorated in stained glass windows, which were moved to a new church building constructed in 1962 at this site. Throughout its history, the congregation has been a mission church, sharing ministers with other Episcopal churches in the region. In 1995, St. James' joined with seven other congregations from nearby communities to form a partnership. Together, the churches are a network of support. Locally, St. James' members participate in community service activities, including food pantries and care for the infirm. Members also work together to help national and international causes. Through worship, study, ministry and outreach, the church continues to support its members and its community. (2006)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Hallettsville began in 1836 with Margaret Hallett's gift of land for a townsite, and settlement grew steadily through the 19th century. In 1875, at the request of a local family, a missionary came to baptize their children, and by 1876 the Episcopal congregation of St. James' had joined the Diocese of West Texas. Meeting first in an Odd Fellows hall, the members built their first sanctuary in 1881; their stained-glass windows, commemorating early parishioners, were carried into a new church built on this site in 1962.
Why it matters
St. James' traces the slow work of building religious and civic community on the Texas frontier, sustained for generations as a small mission church sharing ministers across the region.
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Related people
- · Margaret Hallett
- · Arthur Pendleton Bagby
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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