The members of First United Methodist Church, Marshall, are still proud of the venerable sanctuary’s four impressive columns, in spite of the scathing comment made in 1861 by the Marshall Texas Republican’s editor Robert Lowery.  He opened his screed with the headline “HORRID TASTE” and continued, “The building committee of the new M.E. Church, when they sanctioned the massive, ill-supported, unsightly pillars that are now in progress of construction for that church, must have come to the conclusion that four or five large brick chimneys in front of the building would add to its harmony of proportion.”

Lowery’s prediction that the “chimneys” would last for many a year was correct – the Church celebrates the sesquicentennial anniversary of its Sanctuary August 14, 2011. Among the activities planned for this important date are a special service commemorating both the Church’s history and that  of the denomination’s founder, John Wesley. A litany will be presented by Church members who will  also be celebrating the life of towering hymn-writer Charles Wesley, John Wesley’s brother. There will be a luncheon following the service.

The Sanctuary, which seated 800, was not only a place of worship during the Civil War, it served  as  a legislative hall for the Missouri government in exile, important meetings of the Trans-Mississippi Department of the Confederacy, as well as a storage place for Quartermaster and Commissary  Departments.  Worship in the sanctuary was held over kegs of ammunition, hats, gloves, boots and saddles stored in the basement – all grown or manufactured in Harrison County and guarded by two Boys in Gray.

The church building was not the only thing used by the Confederacy. The church bell was donated   to the cause and melted down for weapons. Soon after the war was over, rumor came that  several  church bells were stored in Jefferson by Union forces.  Two nameless First Methodist trustees  slipped  into the compound where the bells were located, found the best one, loaded it into  their  wagon by night and returned to Marshall. There it hung in the belfry until World War l when it was again donated to the cause – this time sold for about $100.00 – with the proceeds donated to the Red Cross.

In the years since, significant improvements have been made in the old sanctuary. A pipe organ was installed in 1899 and eleven stained glass windows, each dedicated to a member or Church organization, were installed in 1900 – 1901.  In 1927, the first education building was added and the red bricks were covered with white stucco.  The church was then known as “the White Church”.

In the 1950′s, some ninety-seven years after the great wooden doors were opened for the first time, major improvements were made to the sanctuary. It was lengthened by 22 feet, a new balcony  added,   the ceiling raised and arched, central air-conditioning installed and a major addition added  for  Sunday School, a chapel, offices, parlor and an elevator.  In 1997, a second addition included the day  school,  gymnasium, several offices, and a second elevator.

In 2003, a complete restoration of the Sanctuary complex began.  Renovations have been completed for the Sanctuary (including the installation of TV broadcasting capability), offices, children and youth areas, chapel, and parlor.  The gymnasium was upgraded also with audio and TV to become the Christian Life Center.  A new contemporary Worship Service will be held there beginning Aug.  21^st .  The Church has new staff and leadership and has seen a boom in Sunday School and Worship attendance.

The historic nature of the church sanctuary was recognized when it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places, a Civil War Historic Place with State Significance, a Registered Texas Historic Landmark and the U. S. Department of the Interior Historical American Building Survey.

Marshall’s population was 2,000 when Methodists decided the time had come to build a proper church building. There were about 200 members then. There are now five United Methodist Churches  in Marshall with a population of 25,000.  More than 500 belong to First United Methodist.  Descendants of the Scotts, Popes and other founding families are still on the rolls, along with newcomers who have been citizens of Marshall only a few months.  Many are young People for whom history may be mystifying, but, according to current pastor Rodger Garbs, they are the life-blood of the Church.