Elkhart in Anderson County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
First Baptist Church of Elkhart
Photographed by James Hulse, September 26, 2022
1. First Baptist Church of Elkhart Marker
Inscription.
First Baptist Church of Elkhart. . After the Civil War, the Cromwell family moved to Elkhart in Anderson County. Finding no organized Baptist church in the community, J.W. Cromwell decided to organize a Baptist church. In April of 1886, Cromwell and six other charter members founded the Baptist Church of Elkhart and called on Reverend Julius Burk to serve as the first pastor. A church home was established in 1876 on the Quarles Plantation for the purpose of a school and church, known at that time as the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. In 1897, land was sold to the Missionary Baptist Church and a wooden structure was erected. The church moved a third time when the wooden structure burned in 1943. Sadly, all of the church records were lost. The church then moved to the old Mercantile Building but it also burned in 1963. After briefly using the Elkhart High School auditorium, the church purchased land from the Funderburk family and built a new structure. The new church building was dedicated on June 21, 1964., Thirty-four pastors have served the congregation and the church is one of the oldest to be established inside the city. From 1886 to 1890, the church belonged to the Neches River Association and from 1891 to the present, it has held membership in the Anderson County Baptist Association, later renamed Saline Baptist Association. The church's history is marked by numerous church activities and community events including summer revivals, weddings, funerals, Easter and Christmas services, Vacation Bible Schools and an annual Christmas food drive. For more than a century, the church has been a beacon of light in the community.
After the Civil War, the Cromwell family moved to Elkhart in Anderson County. Finding no organized Baptist church in the community, J.W. Cromwell decided to organize a Baptist church. In April of 1886, Cromwell and six other charter members founded the Baptist Church of Elkhart and called on Reverend Julius Burk to serve as the first pastor. A church home was established in 1876 on the Quarles Plantation for the purpose of a school and church, known at that time as the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. In 1897, land was sold to the Missionary Baptist Church and a wooden structure was erected. The church moved a third time when the wooden structure burned in 1943. Sadly, all of the church records were lost. The church then moved to the old Mercantile Building but it also burned in 1963. After briefly using the Elkhart High School auditorium, the church purchased land from the Funderburk family and built a new structure. The new church building was dedicated on June 21, 1964.
Thirty-four pastors have served the congregation and the church is one of the oldest to be established inside the city. From 1886 to 1890, the church belonged to the Neches River Association and from 1891 to the present, it has held membership in the Anderson County Baptist Association, later renamed Saline Baptist Association. The church's history is marked by numerous church activities and community events including summer revivals, weddings, funerals, Easter and Christmas services, Vacation Bible Schools and an annual Christmas food drive. For more than a century, the church has been a beacon of light in the community.
Erected 2012 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 17177.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Religion & Religious Structures. A significant historical month for this entry is April 1886.
Location. 31° 37.304′ N,
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95° 35.088′ W. Marker is in Elkhart, Texas, in Anderson County. It is on West Parker Street (State Highway 294) Ό mile west of Hemby Street. The marker is located at the east side of the front entrance to the church. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 424 West Parker Street, Elkhart TX 75839, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the American South and in the Piney Woods. 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.
Also see . . . Elkhart, TX. Texas State Historical Association
Elkhart is at the intersection of State Highway 294 and U.S. Highway 287, eleven miles south of Palestine in southern Anderson County. In 1851 members of Daniel Parker's Pilgrim community moved to land around Boxy Creek to take advantage of the new post office and a newly established railroad. With the efforts of a friendly Indian, the newcomers settled into a community that continued to survive. They named the town after the Indian. A nearby spa served many socialites with its excellent mineral waters.
(Submitted on October 2, 2022, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.)
Photographed by James Hulse, September 26, 2022
3. The view of the First Baptist Church of Elkhart from across the street
Credits. This page was last revised on October 2, 2022. It was originally submitted on October 2, 2022, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. This page has been viewed 621 times since then and 49 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3. submitted on October 2, 2022, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.
