Shiloh Cumberland Presbyterian Church

The first organized church in Ellis county, the Shiloh Cumberland Presbyterian Church congregation was chartered with twenty members on July 25, 1847, two years before the formation of the county. The church was begun under the leadership of the Rev. Finis E. King, a pioneer area minister, with the assistance of the Rev. J.C. Provine of Paris in Lamar County. Worship services were first conducted under a brush arbor and later in a cedar log tabernacle constructed by Matt McElroy and his eight sons. In 1872, during the pastorate of the Rev. D.G. Molloy, the present frame sanctuary was completed. J.P. Laughlin built the structure using lumber from Cherokee County in East Texas. Ministers here have included such prominent early Presbyterian preachers as the Rev. King, pastor from the church's organization until his death in 1859, and the Rev. E.M. White, who was instrumental in the formation of the several Ellis County churches. Since the earliest days of settlement, the Shiloh Cumberland Presbyterian congregation has led in the development of Ovilla and the surrounding area.

Shiloh Cumberland Presbyterian Church is a historical marker in Ovilla, Ellis County, dedicated in 1962. It is one of 116 historical markers documented in Ellis County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 300 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 32.5174, -96.8901 near Ovilla. The nearest cataloged historic site is Shiloh Cemetery (historical marker), about 0.3 miles away. Others within a short drive include Ovilla Cemetery, Ovilla, and First Baptist Church of Ovilla.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5139007148. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.