Second location at South Allen and West Hickory in Edna

Courtesy of Texas Historical Commission and The Portal to Texas History
 

Second location at South Allen and West Hickory in Edna with apse visible

Courtesy of Texas Historical Commission and The Portal to Texas History
 

History of Texana Presbyterian Church Building
By Brownson Malsh
Chairman Historical Maker Sub-Committee, Jackson County Historical Commission
Vice-President-Funding Texana Presbyterian Church Restoration Association

The Texana Presbyterian Church, the first Presbyterian congregation in Jackson County, was organized in the now-ghost town of Texana on September 30, 1855 under the leadership of John Adams Brackenridge. He was the father of the well-known San Antonio philanthropists and educators of later years, George W. and Mary Eleanor Brackenridge. John M. Cochran, pastor of the Victoria Presbyterian Church presided at the organizational meeting of the Texana Presbyterian Church and preached the first sermon to the newly organized congregation of 12, and other townspeople. The original minute book is in our possession. It gives the details of the organizational meeting and lists the names of the charter members who were: John Adams Brackenridge, Mary Eleanor Brackenridge, John M. White, Lucinda White, Harriet M. White, Saphronia L. S. White, Dr. J. N Baylor, M. B. Mathews, N. I. Mathews, Margaret I. Mathews, Lucy B. Dodd and Narcissa Bankhead.

Texana, located on the Navidad River in southern Jackson County was the county seat of government at that time. In its heyday, Texana was a thriving river town, a port which had regularly scheduled steamboat service to and from Indianola and Port Lavaca, via the Navidad River, Lavaca and Matagorda Bays. Within four years, the congregation had grown to the extent that a permanent house of worship was needed. The Texana Presbyterian Church building was erected in Texana in 1859 and was dedicated at the opening session of the Presbytery of Western Texas there on March 29, 1860. John A. Brackenridge was the largest single contributor to the building fund.

In 1882, the New York, Texas & Mexican Railroad was built from Rosenberg to Victoria through Jackson County and by-passed Texana by eight miles. The new town of Edna was laid out on the railroad in 1882 and a migration from Texana to Edna began immediately. The Jackson County seat of government was transferred to Edna from Texana in 1883 and the latter soon abandoned. The Texana Presbyterian Church building was moved overland to Edna in 1884 and was used as a place of worship by the Presbyterians until 1909 when it was replaced by a new brick sanctuary. The frame building was sold and moved three blocks to the corner of South Allen and West Hickory Streets, where it remained for 71 years in use as a warehouse by various business firms.

In 1979, the building was purchased by the Texana Presbyterian Church Restoration Association, which had been organized in 1978 for the purpose of saving the structure from impending demolition and preserving it for future generations. The Association was chartered by the State of Texas as a non-profit corporation for charitable purposes only. Charter number 458691-1 was granted on December 28, 1978.

This is the last public building surviving from Texana. The significant role it played in the cultural and religious life of Texana was a factor in creating public awareness of the importance of preserving it. The structure is one of few antebellum buildings still standing in the middle Gulf Coast region of Texas. Its style of architecture was another factor leading to the decision of area citizens to mount an effort and make plans to restore it.

The Texana Presbyterian Church is an excellent example of Greek Revival architecture in Texas prior to the War Between the States. It is a braced-frame structure with weatherboard siding, attached Doric pilasters on the facade and corners, classical 16-over16 double-hung sash, and tongue-and-groove interior walls, ceiling and floor. Two of its more notable features were a bell tower with spire and a slave gallery above the vestibule. Seating for the congregation was provided by long, square-built, high-back, handmade pews. Lighting was by ornate oil lamps, mounted in wall brackets or suspended from the ceiling. Details of all features are preserved in original photographs which are being used as a guide in the restoration.

The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 12, 1979. On April 22, 1980, it was moved ten blocks to a permanent site on spacious grounds facing Apollo Drive. In September 1980, bids were solicited through area newspapers for the restoration work and contract was entered into between the Texana Presbyterian Church Restoration Association and Cox Restoration, Inc. of Fredericksburg. Restoration got under way on January 8, 1981 and is now about half completed. Exterior work covers doors, windows and shutters, reconstruction of bell tower and spire (we have the original bell which was placed in the reconstructed tower on March 26, 1981), repairs to sills and weatherboarding, reroofing and painting. Interior work covers restoration of the ceiling, walls and floors and the slave gallery. The building will be furnished with precise replicas of the original pews, pulpit, communion table and lighting fixtures, details of which are revealed clearly in two photographs of the interior taken about 1899.

Completion date for all parts of the project is set for March 31, 1982, three months prior to the July centennial celebration of the driving of the silver spike on the NYT&M Railroad and the founding of the towns of Edna and Ganado in 1882. The building will be maintained in perpetuity by the Texana Presbyterian Church Restoration Association and opened on a regular schedule by the voluntary services of Association members. In addition, it will be made available to the public without discrimination as to race, sex, creed or national origin for varied purposes, such as historical gatherings, group meetings, musical programs, as an informal wedding chapel, etc.

The architect for the restoration project is Joseph C. Freeman of Walker, Doty & Freeman, 506 1/2 W. 7th Street, Austin. Mr. Freeman's services were secured on recommendation of the Texas Historical Commission.

in 2001, building was moved to 891 Brackenridge Parkway in Brackenridge Park on Lake Texana.
 

Courtesy of Texas Historical Commission and The Portal to Texas History
 

Description from the National Register Application

Built in 1859-69 of local materials, the Texana Presbyterian Church is an outstanding example of the provincial interpretation of a high style. The small, rectangular structure personifies both the dignified formality of the Greek Revival style and the reliance upon local materials and craftsmanship of the early Texas settlements. Since construction, the structure was moved to nearly Edna with the advent of the railroad, where it continued to serve the needs of the Presbyterian congregation until 1908. At that time it was sold and relocated for use as a storage facility. The adaptation for storage extensively damaged the historic integrity of the building; however, a preservation plan has been activated to accurately restore the historic fabric of the structure.

In 1858 the incipient congregation, which had been holding services in the Methodist Church as well as private homes, called a meeting to discuss the possibility of erecting a Presbyterian church in Texana. Trustees were elected to oversee the project and plans were made to begin constructing the church. A town lot was purchased for $75.00 and $640.00 was spent on lumber and supplies. Dedication services for the completed structure were held on March 29, 1860.

The simple, wood-frame structure was symmetrically balanced and featured a single entrance accentuated with louvered bell tower and spire. Resting on brick piers, the building utilized a braced-frame structural system with heavy timbered Queen-post trusses spanning its width. Vertically was emphasized in the facades of the structure with pilasters supporting the gabled roof and tall, narrow windows piercing the walls. The primary facade featured four equally spaced, unadorned pilasters on which the pedimented gable rested. The verticality was further emphasized by the bell tower with pilaster-supported cornice and conical spire. The double door entrance was framed with pedimented windows with pilasters occurring only at the corners. The rear facade featured corner pilasters which supported an eave returned suggesting a pedimented gable. Two double hung windows punctuated the wall. The building was faced with beveled weather board siding and roofed with wooden shingles. The siding was painted a light hue with contrasting trim. Unique, four-part louvered shutters were employed to protect the windows.

In 1884 the structure was moved to nearby Edna and sited on a town lot in a residential neighborhood. Located at the corner of Hanover and Church Streets, the structure was dedicated on December of that year. Funds were raised in 1887 for the addition of a Gothic Revival apse. Aside from this addition the structure remained virtually unchanged until the first decade of the 20th century. A detailed account of the appearance of the church was recorded by a member of the congregation and later published (1934). The church was described as being "nestled in the best residential section," enclosed with a "strong, but ornate rail fence of two-by-fours." The interior consisted of a vestibule the full width of the building with the bell rope on one side and a narrow staircase leading to a gallery on the other. The gallery overlooked the sanctuary and was retained with a knee-high rail. Two sets of swinging doors opened onto the carpeted aisles of the sanctuary. High-backed, hand made pews filled the sanctuary; long pews between the two aisles, shorter pews on the sides. The pulpit and choir "loft" were located at the apse end of the sanctuary, elevated on a one foot high octagonal rostrum. The choir loft was defined by a waist-high oak railing which was fitted with ruffled draperies. The pulpit was further elevated by a second octagonal platform.

The congregation continued to grow and the need for a larger building soon became apparent. In 1908the congregation vacated the wood frame structure which was then sold for $250.00 and moved three blocks away to the corner of South Allen and West Hickory Streets. The church was adapted for use as a storage facility and through the years suffered major alterations. The original weather board sitting and shingled roof were replaced or covered with metal and the original doors and windows were removed. New openings were cut in the walls and a loading dock was added to the present north facade of the structure. A new storage loft replaced the original vestibule, stairs, and gallery and the bell tower and spire were either removed or destroyed.

Despite the fact that much of the historic fabric was damaged, the congregation took a revived interest in the structure 120 years after it was constructed. In 1978 the Texana Presbyterian Church Restoration Association was formed to oversee the restoration of the parent church which will be moved back onto church property. The group hired a restoration architect to document the structure and plans have been drawn for a historically accurate restoration. When completed, the structure will appear as it did following the 1887 Gothic Revival addition.
 

Courtesy of Texas Historical Commission and The Portal to Texas History

Texana Church Dedication, October 28, 1984
 

Statement of Significance from the National Register Application

One of the last remaining structures from a once flourishing commercial center, the Texana Presbyterian Church bear significance in its association with the town of Texana, its representation as a fine example of the Texas Greek Revival style, and its reflection of changes in settlement patterns influenced by advancements in transportation technology which occurred throughout the United States in the 19th century. Constructed in Texana in 1859-60 and moved to nearby Edna in 1884, the church is a rare and excellent example of Greek Revival expression within the vernacular building constraints on the mid-19th century Texas frontier. The unusual evolution of the church reflects not only the changing needs of the congregation but also the community.

Texana, originally known as Santa Anna, was founded in 1832 in Jackson County near the confluence of the Navidad and Lavaca Rivers. In 1837 the town, then known as Texana, was named as county seat. The public sale of lots and establishment of a military post nearby encouraged settlers into the area, many of whom were part of Stephen F. Austin's Fifth or Coastal colony. Although the Texas Revolution slowed the town's steady growth, its ideal location for commerce insured an economic comeback which lasted throughout the mid-19th century. Lots were actively traded and Texana emerged as a political, religious, and commercial center for the surrounding area. The church was erected at the height of Texana's commercial prosperity. Its imposing size and classic Greek Revival details indicated the congregation's faith that the town would continue to thrive and that their church would continue to play a prominent role in the community. While at that time Texana was a bustling county seat, its economic prominence was abruptly halted with the completion of the New York, Texas and Mexican Railway in 1882, which passed seven miles northwest of Texana. Texas, like other areas of the country, experienced a shift from reliance on inland and coastal waterways to dependence on the more efficient railroads. Overnight the town of Edna was formed on the railroad. In 1883 the county seat was moved from Texana to Edna, followed by a majority of the businesses and residents. The Presbyterians were the first congregation to organize in Edna. In a meeting held on February 11, 1884, the congregation decided to moved the abandoned Texana Presbyterian Church to a town lot in Edna. Under the direction of Reverend W. E. Caldwell the move to the corner of Hanover and Church Streets was accomplished in November, 1884. In its new location the church continued to served the congregation as it grew and prospered. By 1908 however, the church continued to serve the congregation as it grew and prospered. By 1908 however, the church could no longer meet the needs of the congregation and a new church was constructed; the original structure sold and moved. Plans are currently underway to move the original church back onto church property and accurately restore it

Although the church presently bears little resemblance to its initial appearance, a historic structures report had been prepared including detailed drawings for the restoration of it. Historic photographs as well as information gathered at the site were used in the development of the restorative plans, produced by a well-respected Austin architect who specializes in restorations. The congregation has submitted a grant application for the restoration. The fact that the structure will be moved should not be considered detracting from its significance, considering the church's history of being moved.
 

Courtesy of Texas Historical Commission and The Portal to Texas History
 

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