| Marker Number |
6133 |
| Atlas Number |
5085006133 |
| Marker Title |
First Baptist Church of Farmersville |
| Index Entry |
First Baptist Church of Farmersville |
| Address |
104 S. Washington St. |
| City |
Farmersville |
| County |
Collin |
| UTM Zone |
14 |
| UTM Easting |
746249 |
| UTM Northing |
3672433 |
| Subject Codes |
Baptist denomination; eccesiastical buildings; churches |
| Marker Year |
1977 |
| Recorded Texas Historic Landmark |
Yes |
| Marker Location |
104 S. Washington St., Farmersville |
| Private Property |
No |
| Marker Condition |
In Situ |
| Marker Size |
27" x 42" |
| Marker Text |
Fifteen charter members, meeting under a brush arbor at this site on May 14, 1865, organized the First Baptist Church and chose the Rev. John C. Averitt (1818-1895) as the first pastor. Worship services were held in private homes and later in the Masonic Hall on the east side of the town square. After a successful interdenominational revival, the Baptists decided to erect a permanent church building. The congregation bought the site of the old brush arbor and in 1877 built a simple frame church. A bell installed in the steeple heralded special events to the community. Another successful revival in 1898 emphasized the need for a larger structure. More land was acquired and the present church building constructed in 1900. A combination of several architectural styles, the brick edifice is topped by a roof of pressed metal. The exterior walls of the sanctuary form a multisided projection flanked by matching towers with steeply pitched roofs. The bell from the 1877 church was transferred to the north belfry. Educational buildings were added in 1938 and 1955-56. This congregation provides many community-oriented services, including a church-sponsored library. Several well-known Baptist leaders served as pastor here.**Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1977*** |
