Hood County Texas Genealogical Society

Historical Note:
First Methodist Church Of Granbury

The following historical note was scanned from the 
Hood County Genealogical Society Newsletter No. 12;      November 1986
Editor: Merle McNeese

The Granbury Methodist Episcopal Church South was organized in
Granbury in 1871, by the Reverend J. R. Hill with seven members.

Originally, services were held at the school house on the third
Sunday in each month. Captain and Mrs. J. R. Morris, Mrs. Kay
Gordon, Mrs. J. B. Daniels, and Mr. & Mrs. D. Z. Nutt were among
the charter members.

The first church was built in 1883, and it was the first church
of any denomination to be built in Granbury. It was a frame
building and was located in the 200 block of East Pearl Street.

Under the leadership of Reverend A. D. McGuire, the second
building was built in 1913. It was built mainly of rock that
had been part of the Granbury Methodist College building. The
membership by then had grown to 420.

In 1939, the name was changed to First Methodist Church. The
educational building was added in 1952, under the leadership
of the Reverend Plez Todd, and the present sanctuary was built
in 1965, while the Reverend Jack Riley was pastor. Then in
1968 the name was changed to First United Methodist Church.

Some of the earlier pastors were the Reverends Charlie Morton,
John Boreus, H. C. Hilburn, E. V. Cox, J. B. Curry, E. P. Swin-
dall, P. L. Shuler, B. L. McCord, Homer Cox, I. E. Hightower, 
and B. A. Evans.

The bell that hangs in the bell tower today of the Methodist
Church on the Square is the same bell that hung in the bell
tower of the original church building.

The first parsonage was located at 404 West Bridge Street.
The house still stands today; it has a sign "Dormitory" on the
front. This was the girls dormitory from the Granbury Methodist
College that was moved to the Bridge Street address after the
college had closed, or maybe before when students no longer
used it. The top floor was cut off and a new roof put on.

In 1967, a new parsonage was bought at 802 Elizabeth. Then
in 1972, the present parsonage was built at 501 S. Raupe St.


Ministers have been: Rev. J.R. Hill, the first pastor and
organizer, Rev. 0.R. Addison, Rev. J.F. Jones, 1879, W.D.
Robinson, 1879-1855, Rev. William Price, 1885-1891, Rev. T.W.
Robers, 1891-1892, Rev. J.S. Barcus, 1892-1895, Rev. A.C.
Evans, 1895-1897, Rev. J.W. Adkisson, 1897-?, Rev. S.L.
Terry, 1906-1910, Rev. W.C. Hilburn, 1910-1912, Rev. D.A.
McGuire, 1912-1917, Rev. C.N. Morton, 1915-1915, Rev. P.E.
Riley, 1915-1917, Rev. W. N. Curry, 1917-192~, Rev. E. P.
Swindall, 1922-1924, Rev. P. Shuler, 1924-1926, Rev. C.E.
Simpson, 1926-1927, Rev. R.A. Walker, 1927-1929, Rev. I.E.
Hightower, 1929-1951, Rev. W.J. Hearen, 1971-1992, Rev. E.H.
Maddox, 1932-1977, Rev. T.D. Ellis, 1953-1935, Rev. C.O.
Hightower, 1935-1976, Rev. B.L. McCord. 1978.

Contributed by Tommye Hiler

Visitors since 14 October 1997