Northside in Houston in Harris County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)

Mount Vernon United Methodist Church

Photographed by James Hulse, November 3, 2023

1. Mount Vernon United Methodist Church Marker

Inscription. This congregation originated in 1865, and is one of the oldest in Houston. The Rev. Emanuel Toby (also called Uncle Toby or Toby Gregg) and friends cut brush, built an arbor on Vine Street near the banks of Buffalo Bayou, and began to worship there. In 1867 Toby bought the Vine Street site for five dollars from his ex-master, Darius Gregg. Also in 1867, the Rev. Charles Bryant, a West Indian, came to Houston as a Methodist missionary. In "Uncle Toby's Church under the Hill", he found 25 probationers and 50 members. By 1871, when the congregation bought the Vine Street property from Toby and erected its original frame chapel, the church had 122 members.

Renamed Mount Vernon Methodist Episcopal Church in 1879, the congregation moved to this permanent location in 1901. The site's original structure was built mostly by the personal labor of the Rev. C.G. Minnegan. The present sanctuary was constructed 1935; the educational unit, in 1956. This congregation helped establish the Brooks Chapel United Methodist Church, regularly provides many social services, aids the needy, and has produced community leaders for more than a century.

Erected 1977 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 10738.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Religion & Religious Structures. A significant historical year for this entry is 1865.

Location. 29° 46.482′ N, 95° 20.525′ W. Marker is in Houston, Texas, in Harris County. It is in Northside. It is at the intersection of Burnett Street and Jensen Drive, on the right when traveling west on Burnett Street. The marker is located at the front of the church. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1501 Jensen Drive, Houston TX 77020, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in

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the American South

and on the Gulf Coast.

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 one mile of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Payne Chapel A.M.E. Church (approx. half a mile away); The Frenchtown Community (approx. 0.7 miles away); Peacock Records (approx. 0.8 miles away); Frost Town (approx. 0.9 miles away); El Barrio del Alacrán (approx. one mile away); John S. Hale House (approx. one mile away); William L. Shipp House (approx. one mile away); First Shilo Missionary Baptist Church (approx. one mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Houston.

Photographed by James Hulse, November 3, 2023

2. Mount Vernon United Methodist Church Marker

The Mount Vernon United Methodist Church and Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by James Hulse, November 3, 2023

3. The Mount Vernon United Methodist Church and Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on November 5, 2023. It was originally submitted on November 5, 2023, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. This page has been viewed 621 times since then and 54 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on November 5, 2023, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.