Wylie Methodist Church
Wylie, Collin County, Texas
Marker Inscription
This congregation traces its history to the 1850s, when several Methodist families moved to this area of Collin county. Early worship services were conducted in the homes of the William Spurgin and Mark L. Morris families. The Spurgin home, located about 2 miles northwest of present Wylie, became known as Spurgin Chapel. By 1873 a one-room log building known as Liberty Chapel was constructed to serve as both church and school. It was replaced in 1897 by a new building named St. Paul Methodist Episcopal Church, South. Settlers in the pioneer community of Nickleville (later renamed Wylie) held worship services in a schoolhouse built by William H. Lee. By 1887, land was purchased for a new sanctuary and the first Wylie Methodist Church was built. It was replaced by a brick structure at this site in 1924. Served in its early years by circuit-riding ministers, including the Rev. Jacob B. Minnis, Wylie United Methodist Church has been a part of Collin county history for more than a century. The St. Paul Methodist Congregation merged with Wylie Methodist in 1946, and together the members continue to serve the community with a variety of programs. (1994)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
This congregation reaches back to the 1850s, when Methodist families settling Collin County worshipped in one another's homes, including the Spurgin place that became known as Spurgin Chapel. A log building called Liberty Chapel served as both church and school by 1873, and the first Wylie Methodist Church rose in 1887 as the town of Nickleville took the name Wylie. Circuit-riding ministers served its early years before a brick sanctuary was built here in 1924.
Why it matters
The church's long story — from home worship and log chapels to circuit riders and a brick sanctuary — mirrors how faith and schooling grew together at the heart of frontier Texas communities.
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Related people
- · Jacob B. Minnis
- · William H. Lee
Themes & tags
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