Historic East Texas church goes up in flames

MARSHALL, Texas — A historic East Texas church was destroyed after it caught fire early Monday morning.

The fire broke out at First Methodist Church located at 300 E. Houston St. in Marshall.

The church was established in 1839, according to its website. It has undergone many renovations and changes over its 185 years in existence. The current building the congregation is housed in was constructed in 1861, according to Stephen F. Austin State University. 

“The First Methodist Church is one of the few monumentally scaled Greek revival church architectures in Texas,” SFASU states. “The building has been part of many historical events: ammunitions were stored within basement during Civil War and the first church bell was given to Confederacy and was replaced 1865 by one stolen from the Federal Army. The sanctuary was also a meeting place for the leaders of the south during the Civil War.”

The church was given a Texas Historical Marker in 1965 and was placed on the National Register in 2006.

Sen. Bryan Hughes released the following statement regarding the fire:

“The First Methodist Church in downtown Marshall has been destroyed after a fire broke out early this morning. Our prayers are with Pastor David Luckert and his congregation during this difficult time.”

Details are extremely limited, but CBS19 will update this article as more information becomes available.

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