St. Matthews Episcopal Church
Comanche, Comanche County, Texas
Marker Inscription
The earliest Episcopal worship services in the Comanche area were conducted in the late 1870s by Bishop Alexander C. Garrett of Dallas. In 1886, soon after the organization of the St. Matthews congregation, work began on this frame building. Located on land deeded by Sarah Jane Walcott, it is the oldest existing church structure in Comanche County and has been in continuous use since its completion in 1887. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1964 [Text of original plate, 1964] St. Matthews Episcopal Church. County's oldest church building when built in 1887. Was so remote its Bishop's visits were by horseback.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Episcopal worship in the Comanche area began in the late 1870s with visits from Bishop Alexander C. Garrett of Dallas, and by 1886 the newly organized St. Matthews congregation started building this frame church on land deeded by Sarah Jane Walcott. Completed in 1887, it is the oldest surviving church building in Comanche County and has been in continuous use ever since—so remote in its early years that the bishop reached it by horseback.
Why it matters
The little church captures the reach of organized religion into the still-raw frontier settlements of Central Texas.
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Related people
- · Bishop Alexander C. Garrett
- · Sarah Jane Walcott
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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First Comanche County Courthouse
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