Double Bayou in Chambers County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)

St. Paul United Methodist Church

Photographed By James Hulse, January 11, 2023

1. St. Paul United Methodist Church Marker

Inscription. This church was established in 1869 by a group of former slaves who had settled in the rural Double Bayou community. Land at this site was deeded to the congregation in the 1870s by charter member Martha Godfrey, who also donated the original tract of the nearby cemetery. Born about 1812 in Tennessee, Martha had been brought to Texas as a slave of the Mayes family, early area pioneers who settled here in the 1830s.

St. Paul United Methodist Church has served as a focal point of the surrounding area for well over a century. The Double Bayou community school was held here from the early 1880s until 1920, when a new schoolhouse was built. Church events have become important social activities, and the Martha Godfrey Cemetery, long associated with the congregation, has been the burial place of many area leaders. Funerals here have traditionally included the ringing of the church's toner, a small bell with a muffled sound.

One of the oldest churches in Chambers County, St. Paul United Methodist Church has played a vital role in the area's development. The fellowship's growth continues to reflect the ideals of the Freedman who founded it shortly after the Civil War.

Erected 1982 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 9132.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed

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in these topic lists: African Americans • Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Churches & Religion • Education. A significant historical year for this entry is 1869.

Location. 29° 41.338′ N, 94° 37.879′ W. Marker is in Double Bayou, Texas, in Chambers County. Marker is on Church Road, 0.3 miles west of Smith Point Road (Farm to Market Road 562), on the right when traveling west. The marker is located at the front entrance to the church. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 338 Church Road, Anahuac TX 77514, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 6 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Double Bayou Dance Hall (approx. half a mile away); Graydon (approx. 2.6 miles away); Birthplace of Governor Ross Shaw Sterling (1875-1949) (approx. 3.1 miles away); Round Point (approx. 4.7 miles away); William Barret Travis (approx. 5.7 miles away); Juan Davis Bradburn (approx. 5.7 miles away); Fort Anahuac (approx. 5.7 miles away); Robert McAlpin Williamson (approx. 5.7 miles away).

Also see . . . Double Bayou, TX. Texas State Historical Association

Traveling on Double
Photographed By James Hulse, January 11, 2023

2. The St. Paul United Methodist Church and Marker
Bayou and Trinity Bay, boats remained the locale's primary means of communication with the outside world well into the twentieth century. The flooding that accompanied the hurricane of 1915 caused severe hardships for the people of Double Bayou, as it did for many residents of the upper coastal prairies of Texas. The largely black population of the isolated rural area was estimated at between 150 and 300 during the 1930s.

(Submitted on January 12, 2023, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.)

Credits. This page was last revised on January 12, 2023. It was originally submitted on January 12, 2023, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. This page has been viewed 72 times since then and 14 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on January 12, 2023, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.