Prairie Lea in Caldwell County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
Prairie Lea United Methodist Church
Photographed by James Hulse, October 25, 2020
1. Prairie Lea United Methodist Church Marker
In 1853, five years after the organization of Caldwell County, a Methodist Church was organized in the Prairie Lea community. Heads of the four charter families were George Francis and Pendleton Rector, veterans of the Battle of San Jacinto; early settler W.F. Happle, on whose land was established one of the first cemeteries in the area; and Dr. James Fentress, a veteran of the Indian Battle of Plum Creek (1840) and the man for whom the nearby town of Fentress is named.
Early worship services were held in the area's first schoolhouse. From 1854 until 1871, the congregation met in the Prairie Lea Academy building. In 1871 area pioneer Thomas Mooney and his sons -- William Daniel, Samuel Lafayette, and John Keener -- deeded land at this site for the construction of a sanctuary, trustees were George Francis, Joseph Francis, Wesley Francis, Pendleton Rector, Leroy McLeod, J.J. Smith, Albert C. Johnson, Joseph McCord, and William Happle. The present sanctuary is the second one built on this site.
Pastors who have served the Prairie Lea Methodist Church include noted pioneer Methodist Minister Andrew Jackson Potter and the Rev. M.A. Black, who led the dedication service for the current sanctuary, which was completed in 1884.
Erected 1984 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker
this page online
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Religion & Religious Structures. A significant historical year for this entry is 1853.
Location. 29° 43.801′ N, 97° 45.131′ W. Marker is in Prairie Lea, Texas, in Caldwell County. It is at the intersection of San Marcos Highway (State Highway 8p) and Market Street, on the left when traveling north on San Marcos Highway. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Prairie Lea TX 78661, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Hill Country and in the Austin Metropolitan Area. It is also in the American South. Globally, it is in North America, a Gulf of Mexico state, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain, the Republic of Texas, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 7 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Burial Site of Rev. John McCullough (approx. 0.9 miles away); Dr. James Fentress (approx. 1.1 miles away); Fentress Community Cemetery (approx. 1.4 miles away); Rafael Rios No. 1 (approx. 1.7 miles away); Fentress United Methodist Church (approx. 2.3 miles away); Staples African-American Freedmen Colony Association Cemetery (approx. 5.3 miles away); Camp Clark, C.S.A. (approx. 6.3 miles away); Rosenwald School (approx. 6.6 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Prairie Lea.
Photographed by James Hulse, October 25, 2020
2. Prairie Lea United Methodist Church and Marker
Photographed by James Hulse, October 31, 2020
3. Prairie Lea United Methodist Church and Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on November 11, 2020. It was originally submitted on November 10, 2020, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. This page has been viewed 409 times since then and 56 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on November 11, 2020, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.
