Wesley Chapel A.M.E Church - Georgetown, TX - This Old Church on Waymarking.com

Wesley Chapel A. M. E. Church, founded in 1869, has owned the land where the present church stands since 1881. Church pioneers recalled a tiny wooden building facing south which was on that lot and used for a church until 1904. In the summer of 1904, the congregation began working on funding the new church. The local newspaper, the Williamson County Sun of June 2, 1904, commented: "The church fair that closed Monday night at the Masonic Hall was a credit to the committee and members of the A. M. E. Church. Many articles made by hand showed the skill and the talent of those that made use of the same, out of which the church realized a neat sum which will go a long way in helping to build the new church building." Bishop Evans Tyree of the Tenth District, Texas Annual Conference, had appointed Rev. J. A. Jones as pastor to Wesley Church, and it was Jones who "set out to build a new Church. . . . Mrs. Jones organized the children into a group called 'The Nail Club.' We bought nails for the building." The building was completed in time to host the A. M. E. Tenth District Conference there in December 1904. During this Conference, the church was formally dedicated, with Georgetown's mayor and dignitaries from Southwestern University assisting the A. M. E. choir, church officials and others on the program.

The 1904 structure is simple in design, of frame construction, and has some Gothic Revival characteristics. Narrow beveled siding covers the exterior walls. The steeple sides are covered with scalloped, small boards, and the steeple roof with hand split wood shingles. Heavy, paneled oak double doors, made in England in 1884, were in­stalled in April 1984 to replace some too damaged to repair, at the entry. Enough of the original stained glass in the windows has been salvaged to complete the glass in two windows back of the pulpit and choir area, where they are most visible to the congregation. Other damaged windows are now under repair and will be replaced soon. A small foyer leads from the main doors on the south into the sanctuary. Original wood floors and ceiling remain in the interior, as well as solid oak pews built by a church member, Jessie Chatman, a carpenter-cabinet maker. The original wood walls have been covered by walnut colored paneling, but the original wainscoting has been left and is to be refinished. The original altar rails and the pulpit have been re­placed, but the rails have been preserved, and the pulpit, also built by Jessie Chat-man, is now at the Mood-Heritage Museum in Georgetown.

2) Please share some comments about your visit.

3) Additional photos are encouraged. If you can have information in addition to that already provided about this church, please share it with us.