First United Methodist Church of Euless
T
A R R A N T C O U N T Y |
Marker Text: In the late 1860s, families began moving to this area from Bedford and Coffee Counties, Tennessee, areas steeped in Methodism. Local Methodists believed to number around 50, began meeting about 1876. The following year, the Woodlawn Grange, a local unit of the National Farmers' Organization, built a hall, and residents of different denominations utilized the space for worship services and Sunday school classes.
The Methodist congregation may have been known as Woodlawn Church before becoming Grange Hall Church. In 1879, pioneer settler Elisha Adam Euless bought the property that included the hall. He operated a gin nearby, and the community, which had been called Woodlawn, came to be known as Euless by the time a post office opened in the late 1880s. During that same period, the Methodists built their first sanctuary on this site, across Main Street from the Grange Hall. John W. and Jane Huffman deeded the property to the church, which built a brush arbor behind the sanctuary for revivals. Circuit riding pastors served the church for years, and in 1917 the Central Texas Methodist Conference created a separate Euless circuit. Members built a new church and a parsonage for a pastor, who served the Euless church and others. In 1944, the church assumed support of a full-time pastor. The development of the First United Methodist Church has mirrored that of Euless, which was a small rural town until the mid-20th century. As the church engaged in new construction and expansion, growth from nearby Fort Worth and Dallas brought more residents, as well as new members. Throughout its history, the congregation has responded to the needs of its members and community through worship, education and service. (2005) |
Marker No: 14642
Aluminum 27 x 42 Subject Marker
Geographic: 32.837563, -97.082191
Location: 106 North Main Street, Euless
|