| Marker Number |
1886 |
| Atlas Number |
5123001886 |
| Marker Title |
First United Methodist Church of Cuero |
| Index Entry |
First United Methodist Church of Cuero |
| Address |
301 East Courthouse Street |
| City |
Cuero |
| County |
DeWitt |
| UTM Zone |
14 |
| UTM Easting |
666588 |
| UTM Northing |
3219340 |
| Subject Codes |
Methodist (Methodist Episcopal and United Methodist) denomination; churches |
| Marker Year |
1981 |
| Recorded Texas Historic Landmark |
No |
| Marker Location |
301 East Courthouse Street, Cuero |
| Private Property |
No |
| Marker Condition |
In Situ |
| Marker Size |
27" x 42" |
| Marker Text |
Circuit riders held worship services for Methodists in the Cuero Creek area as early as 1841. It was not until after Cuero's incorporation in 1873, however, that a permanent Methodist church was founded here. Earliest records report eight members on the church roll in 1876. Within ten years that number exceeded one hundred. By 1981 the fellowship consisted of nearly three hundred members. In 1886 the church building was erected on this site. Electric lights replaced earlier gas lighting in the early 1900s, while the church was heated with coal stoves. In 1929 under the pastorate of the Rev. J. W. Black, the entire building was raised. A basement was built underneath to provide a space for Sunday School rooms. At the same time towers were added at the corners and a pipe organ was purchased. Church services were held in the De Witt County Courthouse during the remodeling. By 1958 deterioration of roof trusses and structural supports had created safety hazards. The building was not used for several months until it was repaired. In later years, memorials and gifts have provided the congregation with new carpet, pew cushions, chandeliers, and an electric lift. |
