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Home Texas Bexar County San Antonio Travis Park United Methodist Church
     

Travis Park United Methodist Church

  Texas Historical Markers
San Antonio, TX, USA

Latitude & Longitude: 29° 25' 44.598", -98° 29' 30.6996"
 
    Texas State
Historical Marker
    Founded by the Rev. John Wesley DeVilbiss (1818-83), Missionary to , who in 1844 preached first protestant sermon ever heard in San Antonio and in June 1846 organized his congregation in the courthouse. Villagers called himthe little priest that owns the bell, as he rang calls to worship from vacant lot bought for church on Commerce Street and afterward preached there. The earliest methodist building was a chapel erected in 1852 on Soledad Street and named for Bishop Paine. Cultural life of the city was enriched in 1859 when San Antonio female college, later the University of San Antonio, opened in Paine Chapel. This institution was to merge with others nearly a century later to form trinity University (1942). The Travis Park edifice was begun in pastorate of Dr. W.J. Young (1882) with S.C. Bennett, Francis Crider, G. H. Johnston, James T. Thornton, W.L. Thompson, and William Votaw on building committee. Additions (1901,1910,1922,1941) modified the Romanesque Revival architecture. A 1955 fire prompted major remodeling. Memorial windows depict the congregation's history. Pastors have included many noted men, five having been elected bishops.

This page last updated: 7/15/2008

Travis Park United Methodist Church Historical Marker Location Map, San Antonio, Texas