443 - St. Paul’s United Methodist Church - Houston, TX - Historic United Methodist Sites on Waymarking.com

"St. Paul’s began as an offering to God from Mrs. J. O. Ross, who, following a recovery from a serious illness, contributed property specifically for the establishment of a Methodist Church. Planning began in December 1905 and Bishop Joseph S. Key constituted the new church on January 14, 1906. Services were held in the Winnie Davis Auditorium, as well as a small chapel on the Ross family’s yard, while funds were raised to build. St. Paul’s opened its first sanctuary building on January 31, 1909, at the corner of Milam and McGowen.

In 1927, the St. Paul’s congregation had outgrown its space and purchased land at the corner of Main and Binz/Bissonnet. Groundbreaking took place in April 1929. During construction, St. Paul’s Sunday School classes met at San Jacinto High School and the congregation worshiped in the synagogue of Congregation Beth Israel, forming connections with the community around us. On February 2, 1930, the first worship service was held in the new building; however, the sanctuary was not yet completed. On November 2, 1930, the first worship service was held in the new sanctuary. Despite the hardships of the Great Depression, the congregation continued to grow and slowly, but steadily, worked to pay off the building debt. In November of 1951, the debt was paid in full and the building was dedicated."