Wells in Cherokee County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
Falvey Memorial United Methodist Church
Inscription.
In the late 1860s or early 1870s, Republic of Texas Army veteran James H. Bowman offered one hundred acres of land to the Rev. W.D. Lewis, Sr., of nearby Barsola, on the condition that he move to the Mt. Hope community for the purpose of establishing a Methodist church. The Rev. Mr. Lewis accepted the offer, and the Mt. Hope Methodist Episcopal Church, South, was organized by 1875.
The Wells community was established in 1885 as the Kansas and Gulf Short Line Railroad was built through the area to the south of Mt. Hope. It was named for Major E.H. Wells, a railroad engineer. Dr. J.C. Falvey and his wife, Matilda Falvey, settled in Wells that year. They joined the Mt. Hope Methodist congregation after it relocated to Wells in 1888. The congregation soon built a parsonage behind the new church.
The church was a focal point for area Methodist pioneers. This congregation prospered for the remainder of the 19th century and well into the 20th. From 1948 to 1950 a new church building was constructed on this site in honor of Dr. J.C. and Mrs. Matilda Falvey by their son. The Falvey Memorial Methodist Church was dedicated in 1951.
Active in the Mt. Hope and Wells communities from its earliest days, Falvey Memorial United Methodist Church continues to serve the area with programs of worship and service. These include ecumenical gatherings, such as a Bible reading marathon and Easter sunrise services at Mt. Hope Cemetery Tabernacle, as well as community outreach. Falvey Memorial United Methodist Church continues in the traditions of its founders.
Erected 2000 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 12344.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Railroads & Streetcars • Religion & Religious Structures. A significant historical year for this entry is 1875.
Location. 31° 29.206′ N, 94° 56.174′ W. Marker is in Wells, Texas, in Cherokee County. It is at the intersection of Rusk Avenue (U.S. 69) and 7th Street, on the right when traveling west on Rusk Avenue. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 130 S Rusk Ave, Wells TX 75976, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the American South, specifically in the Deep 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.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 7 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Mt. Hope Cemetery (approx. 1½ miles away); John Joseph Bowman (approx. 1.6 miles away); James H. Bowman (approx. 1.6 miles away); a different marker also named Mt. Hope Cemetery (approx. 3.2 miles away); Homer-Alto Road (approx. 3.2 miles away); Pollok Baptist Church (approx. 4.7 miles away); Pollok Cemetery (approx. 4.8 miles away); Site of the Town of Mount Sterling (approx. 6.9 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Wells.
Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on March 5, 2011. This page has been viewed 1,058 times since then and 28 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on March 5, 2011, by Steve Gustafson of Lufkin, Texas. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.

