Methodist Encampment Community

Methodist Encampment Community. . The Epworth League, formed in Cleveland in 1889, aimed to spiritually develop Methodist Church youth members. The Epworth Movement spread in Texas and a statewide league organized in 1892. From 1906-1919, the league met on the south Texas coast near Corpus Christi, where it was known as "Epworth-by-the-Sea" until a severe storm forced it to relocate., In 1923, the West Texas Conference of the Methodist Church adopted a resolution to establish a new encampment. Many locations were considered and in 1924, thanks to community support, the trustees acquired 200 acres of land west of Kerrville, extending from the banks of the Guadalupe River to the top of what is now called Mount Wesley., Next to the encampment, a neighborhood was built to provide housing for families attending the annual encampment. On April 1, 1924, the first lots were offered for sale. Eventually about 100 homes and cottages were constructed, many built with help from preachers, their families and members of the community. The neighborhood attracted several notable residents, including Ella (Byler) Dobie, mother of iconic Texas writer J. Frank Dobie. He visited Kerrville often and wrote in his mother's cottage., At a time when preachers and their families traveled and were not able to put down roots, this neighborhood was the place they called home. Some houses are still owned by descendants of the original families. This encampment, like many of the area's camps, arose because of the area's scenic beauty and healthful climate.