Christian Methodist Episcopal Church

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.

Christian Methodist Episcopal Church is a historical marker in Fredericksburg, Gillespie County, dedicated in 1977. It is one of 109 historical markers documented in Gillespie County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 195 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 30.2719, -98.8662 near Fredericksburg. The nearest cataloged historic site is Dambach-Besier Home (historical marker), about under a tenth of a mile away. Others within a short drive include Nimitz Hotel, Mueller-Petmecky House, and National Museum of the Pacific War.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5171010019. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.