The Telico Church
Ennis, Ellis County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Built in 1867 for the Kirkpatrick Presbyterian Church, this sanctuary later served other denominations. It was a Baptist church from 1909 to 1961. Designed in the Greek Revival style with high Victorian Italianate details, it features shoulder architraves, paired brackets in the cornice, and six-over-six windows. The building was stabilized after a 1960 tornado tore it from its foundation. A 1986 restoration project returned the church to its historic appearance.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Built in 1867 for the Kirkpatrick Presbyterian Church, this Ellis County sanctuary later sheltered several congregations, serving as a Baptist church from 1909 to 1961. Its builders blended Greek Revival lines with High Victorian Italianate flourishes—shoulder architraves, paired cornice brackets, and six-over-six windows. A 1960 tornado tore it from its foundation, but it was stabilized and then fully restored to its historic appearance in 1986.
Why it matters
The Telico Church is a well-preserved example of the frontier houses of worship that anchored Texas pioneer communities and passed from one denomination to the next as towns rose and faded.
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Themes & tags
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