First United Methodist Church of DeKalb

The Rev. William Stevenson led the pioneering efforts of Methodist circuit riders in northeast Texas in 1815. He preached on both sides of the Red River, although Protestant services were then illegal in the Spanish territory of Texas. Methodist "societies" began to spring up in this area in the 1820s and 1830s. Dr. J. W. P. McKenzie started a Methodist mission in DeKalb in 1836, just five years after the town was founded. This area was then considered part of Miller County, Arkansas. The Rev. John B. Denton, who served the church in 1837, was later killed in the Village Creek Indian Battle in Tarrant County. The city and county of Denton were named for him. The Methodists' first church building was a log structure which also served as a schoolhouse. It stood in the southeast corner of Old DeKalb Cemetery. After the arrival of the Texas & Pacific Railroad, the church moved to a new building at Fulton and Church St. in 1882. The Presbyterian and Christian churches also shared that facility. A Sunday School program was begun in 1883. The church moved to its present location in 1913 and has occupied three buildings here. Three Methodist congregations, Austin Chapel, Oak Grove, and Springhill, have merged with the fellowship. (1985)

First United Methodist Church of DeKalb is a historical marker in De Kalb, Bowie County, dedicated in 1985. It is one of 39 historical markers documented in Bowie County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 168 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 33.5076, -94.6184 near De Kalb. The nearest cataloged historic site is De Kalb (historical marker), about 0.2 miles away. Others within a short drive include Honea Plot, Woodman, and Old DeKalb.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5037009480. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.