Rutersville in Fayette County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
Rutersville College
The First Methodist and Protestant College in Texas Founded 1840
— United Methodist Church Registered Historic Site No. 9 —
Photographed By James Hulse, October 4, 2021
1. Rutersville College Marker
was founded
Its first President was
Reverend
Chauncey Richardson
Whose body lies buried near here
Born in Vermont 1802
Died in Fort Bend County Texas
April 11, 1852
Erected 1949 by Southwest Texas Conference of the Methodist Church.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Churches & Religion • Education. In addition, it is included in the United Methodist Church Historic Sites series list. A significant historical date for this entry is April 11, 1852.
Location. 29° 56.577′ N, 96° 47.764′ W. Marker is in Rutersville, Texas, in Fayette County. Marker is on Old College Road, 0.4 miles south of State Highway 159, on the right when traveling south. The marker is located just off the Old College Road next to a small cemetery. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 4331 Old College Road, La Grange TX 78945, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 5 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Site of First Methodist Annual Conference in Texas (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Rutersville College (within shouting distance of this marker); Rutersville (approx. 0.3 miles away); Asa Hill of Rutersville
this page online
Also see . . .
1. Rutersville College.
In 1839 the first Texas conference of the Methodist Church appointed Chauncey Richardson the first president of the college and renamed it Rutersville College. The coeducational school opened on the last week of January 1840, with sixty-three students. The town of Rutersville, which developed simultaneously with the college, donated fifty-two acres for the men's division of the college and twenty-four for the women's division. Source: The Handbook of Texas(Submitted on October 7, 2021, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.)
2. Richardson, Chauncey.
Chauncey Richardson, Methodist minister and first president of Rutersville College, was born in Vermont on October 10, 1802. He was licensed to preach in 1823 and received "on trial" in 1826 by the New England Conference. He was appointed to Danville,(Submitted on October 7, 2021, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.)Vermont, and later held pastorates in Massachusetts at Dorchester (1827), Andover (1828), Boston (1829), Weymouth (1830), and Falmouth (1831). His circuit-riding duties and the severity of the winter weather caused his health to fail in 1832, and he used the enforced time off to engage in formal studies at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut. Source: The Handbook of TexasPhotographed By James Hulse, October 4, 20212. Rutersville College Marker
Photographed By James Hulse, October 4, 2021
3. The view of Rutersville College Marker in front of the Rutersville College Cemetery
Photographed By James Hulse, October 4, 2021
4. The Rutersville College Cemetery
Chauncey Richardson gravestone is the right gravestone of the two gravestones
Credits. This page was last revised on August 20, 2023. It was originally submitted on October 7, 2021, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. This page has been viewed 219 times since then and 24 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on October 7, 2021, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.
