Oak Haven United Methodist Church

Oak Haven United Methodist Church. . This church's roots date back to the nineteenth century. In 1880, when this area was sparsely populated, local residents from various Christian denominations met together for Sunday school classes. Having no building, the group met under a brush arbor, or bower. The original name, Union Bower Sunday School, is believed to have been derived from this union of denominations meeting under a bower., In 1905, the Methodist Church sent the Reverend W.E. Hawks to begin construction on a church building along today's Eastern Grauwyler Rd. The Church, known as Hawks Chapel Methodist Church, was dedicated in 1907., In the early 1930s, the congregation renamed the church Union Bower Methodist Church. By the mid-1940s, members began planning a larger, modern building on the same site. They completed the new church in 1953., The rapid growth in church membership paralleled the growth of Irving during the 1950s. By 1959, the congregation was again planning a larger church., After selling their building in 1959, the members met for a time at Paul Keyes Elementary School. On Palm Sunday, 1961, the new church was dedicated and renamed "Oak Haven" to reflect this natural beauty of the grounds.