Grayson County TXGenWeb

Bells Home Of Historic Churches

BELLS - Historic churches located near Bells include First Baptist, Calvary Baptist, First United Methodist, Virginia Point Methodist, Hebron Baptist and the Antioch Baptist.

The Methodist Church organized soon after the town was founded, with a church building located in North Bells in 1880. One of the first pastors was Rev.N.J.Miller. The church was located in South Bells in 1880 on land donated by W.P.Dugan. The church burned and services were held in the school in 1950. Under leadership of the Rev. Baxston Bryant, the "Mile of Dollars" was instituted and more than $10,000 was raised for a new church now called "First Methodist Church".

First Baptist Church was organized as Bell Plain Baptist Church in the home of J.A.Lindsay in June, 1897. Isaac Reed was first pastor and there were nine charter members. The church met in various locations until 1884 when A.T.Wilson gave two lots on Gospel Ridge for a new building. That church was blown down by high winds in 1896, and the church bought two lots and had a third donated for the new building.

Virginia Point Methodist Church, organized in 1834 when settlers came from Virginia, has a historical marker as being the oldest continuously used Methodist Church in Texas. A.B.Youree sold property for the present church to members in 1860 for $1.

Hebron Baptist Church, four miles northeast of Bells observed its 100th birthday on Oct. 11, 1971. The first pastor was Rev.E.W.Holman, and members met in the schoolhouse. The church constructed in 1906 was blown from its foundation in a wind storm in April, 1919. Services were discontinued in 1936 due to lack of interest. During that time, the church reportedly was invaded by goats that broke the window panes and ate the wall paper off the wall as far as they could reach.
Services were held there again in 1941 by Rev. Frank Shirley. The church was later remodeled and classrooms added.

Calvary Missionary Baptist Church was organized with 16 charter members in 1955. In 1956 Rev. Arvel Lamance was named the first pastor.

The third oldest Baptist church was the Antioch Baptist Church west of Bells. Organized in 1861 two miles south of the present site, its first pastor was a Bro. Mays. In 1872 land was donated for a school and church by the Aston or Washburn families. A new church was built in 1890 and was torn down sometime in 1918. It was made ready by 1919 when the Armistice was signed and soldiers returned home. The school and church burned in 1940, and members met in the home of Mrs.W.J.Hogan until the school was rebuilt. Members then met in the Pink Hill School. In 1949 when the school was consolidated into the Bells Independent
School District, members purchased the building, converted it into a church. In 1960 it was remodeled.

April 14, 1963

BELLS - Bells was once known as Gospel Ridge because of its many churches. When the Texas and Pacific railroad came in 1873 the church bells rang so loudly, it was decided to change the community's name to Bells.