Davilla Baptist Church

Davilla Baptist Church

Address

County

utm_east

Milam

691516

utm_zone

utm_north

Davilla

3393465

from Rogers go south on FR 437 about

11.5 mi. to LR 487, east .5 mi.

Marker Text

A Presbytery consisting of W. Beasley, L. Williams, P. T. Corneal, and E.

Allison met at Mumford Springs, Milam County, Texas (present day Davilla) to

organize Bethlehem Missionary Baptist Church in 1866. From 1868 to 1870 the

congregation held service in the Davilla Methodist Church building. In 1870

the congregation purchased a town lot here in Davilla where they constructed a

sanctuary in 1871. The congregation was subsequently renamed the Baptist

Church of Christ at Davilla, Texas. Early baptisms took place in several nearby

creeks. People from the area west of Davilla and others converted by evangelist

Elder Penn joined the congregation in the late 1870s. Church records indicate

that the congregation has been referred to as Davilla Baptist Church since 1904.

For many years a tabernacle adjacent to the church building was used by

various local denominations for summer revivals. A baptistry was installed in

the sanctuary in 1955. On February 16, 1992, the congregation held their last

Sunday School and church services in the original 1871 church building and

later that year a new sanctuary was completed at this site. The church

continues to provide religious instruction and serve the community with various

programs and activities. Sesquicentennial of Texas Statehood 1845-1995