First Baptist Church of Huntsville

One of the earliest Baptist congregations in Texas, this church was organized in 1844 by The Rev. Z. N. Morrell, who served as first pastor. The Rev. J. W. D. Creath, a missionary from Virginia, was the second, and The Rev. G. W. Baines, known now as an ancestor of U.S. President Lyndon Baines Johnson, was the third. General Sam Houston, ex-president of the Republic of Texas, was a member. The congregation dedicated its first church building in 1851; it was on this site. A bell added in the 1850s became a pride of the city. This church hosted the Baptist State Convention five times in the 1850s and 60s. One of the first regular Sunday schools in Texas functioned here by 1864. Blacks in the membership requested and received letters of dismission in 1868, to organize a church of their own. After Sam Houston Normal Institute (now Sam Houston State University) was established in 1879, many of its people came to augment the leadership in this church. The congregation has erected houses of worship in 1891, 1924, and 1954. Throughout its history, it has promoted and financed mission work, and has helped to organize and encourage other congregations.

First Baptist Church of Huntsville is a historical marker in Huntsville, Walker County, dedicated in 1977. It is one of 69 historical markers documented in Walker County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 110 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 30.7170, -95.5455 near Huntsville. The nearest cataloged historic site is Peabody Library Building (historical marker), about 0.3 miles away. Others within a short drive include "Old" Main Building, Austin Hall, and Sam Houston State University.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5471008450. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.