Cottonwood Baptist Church - Falls County, TX
N 31° 20.906 W 097° 07.825
14R E 677843 N 3469727
The Cottonwood Baptist Church is at 890 FM 2643, north of Mooreville in the old Cottonwood community in rural Falls County, TX.
Waymark Code: WM146GK
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 04/29/2021
Views: 1
A 1984 Texas Historical Marker provides some history:
This congregation was founded by a group of German-speaking families who had moved from the Washington County area to the rich farmlands of Falls County. The organizational meeting was held March 4, 1884, at the home of Anton Wittner. Fifteen charter members named their congregation the German Baptist Church of Cottonwood.
For four years, worship services were held in the members' homes. In 1888, during the ministry of the Rev. F.J. Gleiss, the congregation's first full-time pastor, a church building was constructed. Additional, larger facilities were built over the years to accommodate the growing membership.
During World War I, the German church was suspected of hiding arms in the sanctuary loft, despite the members' support of the war effort. In 1930 the congregation began a gradual transition from services conducted in German to those led in English.
Renamed Cottonwood Baptist Church in 1945, the congregation has provided significant service and leadership to the residents of this area throughout its history. Descendants of some of the original German families continue to worship here.
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While the church's website lists their address as Lorena, eight miles away, the closest significant population is Mooreville, with nearly a hundred people about three miles to the southwest. Other than the sign above the door, there is no church sign, but their website fills in the gaps. Their first sanctuary was only 35' x 22' x 12', prompting a replacement in 1900 as the congregation grew. Additional growth prompted a third sanctuary in 1929, but a 1942 fire ended its service after just thirteen years. The 1943 sanctuary is what is there now, with a 2006 add-on.