Details for Christian Methodist Episcopal Church
Historical Marker — Atlas Number 5171010019
Data
| Marker Number | 10019 |
| Atlas Number | 5171010019 |
| Marker Title | Christian Methodist Episcopal Church |
| Index Entry | Christian Methodist Episcopal Church |
| Address | 520 E Main St |
| City | Fredericksburg |
| County | Gillespie |
| UTM Zone | 14 |
| UTM Easting | 512869 |
| UTM Northing | 3348740 |
| Subject Codes | African American topics; youth organizations; African Methodist or Colored/Christian Methodist Episcopal; churches |
| Marker Year | 1977 |
| Recorded Texas Historic Landmark | No |
| Marker Location | |
| Private Property | No |
| Marker Condition | In Situ |
| Marker Size | 27" x 42" |
| Marker Text | Several black families were residing in Gillespie County by the 1870s. A schoolhouse was built in 1877 on property adjacent to this later church site. Blacks probably met in the school for worship services before this church was completed 10 years later. In 1887 Oscar Basse deeded this lot to William McLane, Silas Russel, James Scruggins, and James Tinker as trustees of the Colored Methodist Episcopal Church. Members of the congregation erected this simple frame structure, with its small steeple, atop a native limestone foundation. In recent years, when the local black community dispersed, use of the church building decreased and deterioration set n. Cora Phillips, widow of Paul Phillips, well-known Gillespie County veterinarian and church trustee, suggested restoring the structure for use by youth organizations united in 1974. The youth, representing half a dozen faiths, carried out repair and renovation work and gained national recognition for their endeavors. Dr. Robert Mosby, son of the black congregation's third pastor, the Rev. William H. Mosby, preached at ceremonies in February 1976, when the restored building was dedicated as the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church. |