Bellaire Presbyterian Church

Bellaire residents founded the non-denominational Bellaire Union Congregational Church and Sunday School in 1911. Services and classes were held in the local school building and the town's streetcar terminal known as the "Pavilion." In 1919 many members of Bellaire Union and others petitioned the First Presbyterian Church of Houston to establish a presence in the community. The Bellaire Mission was established on April 5, 1919, with the Rev. R. L. Jetton as pastor. Later that year the first church building was erected on land donated by D. T. Austin. The Rev. Robert H. Bullock became the mission's first full-time pastor in 1940 and in 1942 a new brick sanctuary was dedicated. The mission became self-supporting in 1943 when the congregation became known as the "Bellaire Presbyterian Church." During the mid-1950s Bellaire Presbyterian helped establish several churches in the area. Membership in the congregation grew rapidly and in 1957 a new 1000-seat sanctuary was constructed at this site. The congregation reached 1,794 members by 1963. Bellaire Presbyterian has played an important role in the history of Bellaire and represents the oldest continuing congregation in the community.

Bellaire Presbyterian Church is a historical marker in Bellaire, Harris County, dedicated in 1994. It is one of 406 historical markers documented in Harris County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 781 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 29.7053, -95.4671 near Bellaire. The nearest cataloged historic site is Bellaire Streetcar Line (historical marker), about under a tenth of a mile away. Others within a short drive include Bellaire, Texan Capture of Mexican Dispatchers, and Teas Nursery Company.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5201010615. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.