Era Church of Christ - Era, TX - Continental Reformed and Congregational Church Sites on Waymarking.com

The church lacks any kind of Internet presence beyond web-spidered listings. There is one broken link to a Facebook page, while another, unofficial listing, appears to have been commandeered to post someone's photos. However, a 2006 article (see Associated Website, below) in the Gainesville Daily Register noted the sanctuary's centennial, and in the course of the article, there is some history. A copy of the article is available from me should the link become invalid.

The church has roots into the mid-1800s, meeting in homes in their early days before getting down to the business of constructing a sanctuary. Their first sanctuary was a log church which also served as a school and a place for social gatherings, and those familiar with the history of Cooke County will recognize the name, James Menees Lindsey, as the church's benefactor, who sold them six acres of land for a dollar, to be used for school and church purposes. It was a union church, shared with the Baptists, Methodists, and the Church of Christ, who referred to it as "Era Chapel." There, on the first Sunday of November, 1879, the congregation was officially established, with 23 members.

By 1882, the church saw a need to purchase their own property for their own sanctuary, and having done so, they constructed a frame church on what is now the football field that isn't too far from here. By 1900, their rolls showed 239 members, so it was inevitable that they would need another building. In 1905, another piece of property was acquired, and by 1906, they had constructed their new home, this very building.

There have been some changes over time. Initially, there was a bell tower over the north entrance, and the men entered the sanctuary and sat there. The women entered through the south side. When the bell tower was removed, those north and south entrances were made into Sunday school rooms. Over time, a baptistery and modern rest rooms were added, the high ceiling was lowered, and comfort was provided in the form of heating and air conditioning.

The article mentioned that what they call "the new building" -- a fellowship hall, built to complement the sanctuary quite nicely -- was constructed in 2004. There were also plans at the time to plans to remove that drop-ceiling and restore the original vaulted ceiling inside.

Reformed or Congregational Denomination: Church of Christ Associated Website: [Web Link] Status: Active House of Worship Address: 111 Hargrove St Era, TX USA 76238 Date of Construction or Event Occurrence: 01/01/1906 Architect: Unknown

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