Matthews Memorial Presbyterian Church - Albany, TX
Posted by: WalksfarTX
N 32° 43.421 W 099° 17.923
14S E 472009 N 3620695
The present stone structure was erected in 1898 in memory of one of Shackelford County’s first cattlemen and one of the early elders of the congregation, Joseph Beck Matthews (1824-1895).
Waymark Code: WMV4ZK
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 02/24/2017
Views: 1
Church Website
The original sanctuary was arranged in the “Akron plan”—three sections of curved pews on a sloping floor, with no center aisle. The area containing the south anteroom and most of the present chancel formed a separate room which could be made part of the main church by opening accordion doors.
The educational building was constructed in 1927 and in 1954 the church was remodeled under the leadership of Watt Matthews. Architect for the remodeling, Joseph E. Blanton, lowered the entrance and leveled the floor so that there are now only two steps from the ground to floor level. Seating was changed to two sections of straight pews with one center aisle. The stone of the floors was quarried and cut at Lueders and much of it was laid by the men of the church.