Freestone County, Texas Churches First Methodist Church of Fairfield, Texas THE EARLY HISTORY OF THE FIRST METHODIST CHURCH IN FAIRFIELD *1* The first church was built in Fairfield in 1851. It was a Union Church which burned about 1872 or 1873. A meeting of the leading citizens was called to discuss building a new church. Those interested were Jim Anderson, Jess Anderson, John Cullison, Mr. Tate, William Bradley, Dee Bradley, clerk, William Peck, Hiram Stubbs, and William Watson. They each pledged $100 and were to collect enough to build at once. When it was found that all the men were Methodist except two, Mr. Stubbs and Mr. Watson, Mr. Bradley told the men that if they would build a Methodist Church he would increase his pledge to $1,000. Each man raised his pledge to $500 except Mr. Stubbs who withdrew his $100. Mr. Watson said he would give $100 provided the men who help build a Baptist Church later. They collected $3,000 and as Mr. Cullison and Mr. Jess Anderson were carpenters, work began at once. Mr. Peck had given the lot for the Church, which stood where the parsonage is now. It was a colonial type with a wide porch all across the front with large pillars. The stops extended across the entire front. This Church was remodeled after the Galveston flood by Brother Russell, (father of David Russell, who was born in Fairfield). This was in 1901. With the coming of Rev. Allen Tooke in 1909, things began to change. The Church was moved to the corner of the lot and the inside changed. A parsonage was built where the Church stood. A story and half house. It was burned a few days after Brother Condrey moved in (1933), destroying all the Church records. The Church was badly damaged by the fire and while Rev. Walter Willis was pastor the present Church was built. (1937-38 to 1965) --------------------------------------------------------------------- HISTORY OF THE CHURCH BELL *2* "The Fairfield Female College opened in 1858. The building stood on the prairie east of Fairfield. Soon after the opening, plans were made to have a bell cast for the College. All the young ladies asked to be allowed to give some of their jewely and money to give tone to the bell. Seven hundred dollars in silver were added to the jewelry by the citizens of Fairfield and sent to England where the bell was cast. It was shipped to Galveston and was handled by wagon overland freight. Mr. J. J. Stubbs with his 8 to 10 oxen was the freighter. When the bell arrived it was too heavy to place on top of the College building so a frame was made and in 1860 or 1861 it was placed on the end the front gallery, where it stayed until the College building was torn down in 1900. The bell was then presented to the Methodist Church by Mrs. William Bradley, where it continues to call the town people to worship." --------------------------------------------------------------------- THE FOLLOWING IS A LIST OF THE PASTORS SERVED THE FIRST METHODIST CHURCH IN FAIRFIELD, SINCE 1892 AS RECORDED IN THE METHODIST JOURNAL *3* DATE-YEAR PASTOR NAME DISTRICT 1892-1894 W. F. Brinson Fairfield Circuit Calvert 1894-1895 D. S. Thompson Fairfield Calvert 1895-1897 F. O. Favre Fairfield Calvert 1897-1901 J. W. Holt Fairfield Calvert 1901-1904 J. L. Russell Fairfield Calvert 1904-1905 O. A. Shook Fairfield-Dew Calvert 1906-1907 J. A. Kenny Fairfield and Dew Calvert 1907-1909 E. M. Myers Fairfield and Dew Calvert 1909-1913 Allen Tooke Fairfield and Dew Marlin 1913-1914 W. A. Craven Fairfield and Dew Marlin 1914-1916 R. O. Wier Fairfield and Dew Marlin 1916-1918 P. R. White Fairfield and Dew Marlin 1918-1920 J. B. Bell Fairfield and Dew Marlin 1920-1922 S. A. Weimer Fairfield and Dew Marlin 1922-1929 I. O. Dent Fairfield and Dew Marlin 1929-1933 J. N. Vincent Fairfield-Dew Marlin 1933-1936 G. C. Condrey Fairfield-Dew Marlin 1937-1939 R. B. Moon Fairfield-Dew Marlin 1939-1940 Walter Rabb Willis Fairfield-Dew Marlin 1940-1941 Jester White Fairfield-Dew Marlin 1941-1943 W. B. Oliver, Jr. Fairfield-Dew Jacksonville 1944-1946 J. Coy Williams Fairfield Jacksonville 1946-1948 Francis Fischer Fairfield Jacksonville 1948-1951 G. W. Elmore Fairfield Palestine 1951-1953 J. H. Malone Fairfield Palestine 1953-1955 E. H. McCombs Fairfield Palestine 1955-1957 Harold G. Spann Fairfield Palestine 1957-1959 Stanley Vodicka Fairfield Palestine 1959-1961 Leon Peacock Fairfield Palestine 1961-1963 Jesse Roberson Fairfield Palestine 1964-1965 Billie B. Bonner Fairfield Palestine 1965- Donald G. Willis Fairfield Palestine *1* = "The following is a record reproduced exactly as Miss Lizzie Anderson, Mrs. J. R. Bell and Mrs. C. B. Steward wrote it in 1955. *2* = "The following record was prepared by Mrs. J. R. Bell, Teague; Miss Lizzie Anderson; Miss Nannie Anderson; and Mrs. C. B. Steward. These ladies devotion to recording significant facts helps us today have a better look at our past. This story is reproduced exactly as it was written in 1955." *3* = "All the information in this brochure was assembled by the Church Historical Committee, composed of Mrs. A. H. Bass, Miss Katherine Steward, and Mrs. Frank Bragg."