106 - St. John's United Methodist Church - Richmond, TX
Posted by: 
jhuoni
N 29° 34.927 W 095° 45.698
15R E 232484 N 3275667
Originally, the Methodist Church of Richmond, St. John's United Methodist Church was constructed in 1922. It is Historic Methodist Site, on the National Registry of Historic Places and has a Texas Historical Commission Medallion and Shield.
Waymark Code: WMW39C
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 07/04/2017
Views: 6
Located in downtown Richmond, across the street from the historic Fort Bend County Courthouse, St. John's is an historic United Methodist Church that was founded in 1839 as the Richmond Methodist Church. On December 26, 1838, Reverend Jesse Hord arrived in Richmond. His diary entry for that day stated: "Spent in Richmond; preached at night to a good congregation; good feeling; much interest; the Holy Spirit rest upon many. Hallelujah! God is love."
On January 22, 1839, Reverend Hord returned to Richmond where he found a "good congregation with considerable interest and good feelings." He then organized a society consisting of six persons - the first Methodist society ever formed in Richmond under the name "Methodist Episcopal Church." From six people that organized society became what is today St. John's United Methodist Church.
Throughout the years, St. John's has always maintained a significant and active presence in both Fort Bend County and in the Texas Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. The 11th Annual Texas Conference was held in Richmond.
Stories about the life of St. John's are plentiful and include stories of three churches of different denominations on the same street with windows open singing the same hymns at the same time. Also because St. John's was on street level and there were not many motorized vehicles on the streets it was not unusual for livestock such as pigs to roam under the buildings, disturbing Sunday services.
Carrie Nation, who became famous as a hatchet swinging woman who destroyed saloons after she moved from Richmond was a member of the Richmond Methodist Church and taught Sunday School.
Today, St. John's is a growing, inclusive, mainstream United Methodist Church, upholding traditional Christian values and offering a variety of opportunities for worship and ministry for everyone.
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From the 2014 National Registry of Historic Places application:
The historic Methodist Church of Richmond, currently known as St. John's United Methodist Church (SJUMC), is located in the heart of historic downtown Richmond, Fort Bend County, Texas, situated on the corner of Jackson and 4th Streets. Its original 4,788 square-foot rectangular sanctuary is a rather distinctive building, offering not only a place of worship but a piece of architectural history. Built in 1922, with additions in 1929, 1955, and 2000, the Methodist Church of Richmond represents the town's oldest continuing Methodist congregation. The red brick church was built according to plans drawn by Houston architect Carl N. Nelson, and is most closely associated with the Late Gothic Revival architectural style with its masonry-clad exterior, prominent corner towers, Tudor arch entries and windows, and terra cotta trim. Today, the 1922 church is the core of the church campus that includes the main sanctuary, the Wessendorff Educational Building (1929, with an extension in 1955), and Wendt Hall (2000), all of which are internally connected and share compatible design characteristics. In accordance with National Park Service Guidelines, this property is counted as a single unit, as it represents “a building or structure with attached ancillary structures, covered walkways, and additions.”