Clement Stubblefield sold the 1476 acres to Thomas B. Huling for $150 on October 10, 1848. Huling was a prominent land specu­lator throughout Texas at that time, but neither he nor  Stubble­field ever lived in Georgetown. Huling was a partner in land dealings with George Washington Glasscock, Sr., who began selling and buying land in the Georgetown area in 1848 with Huling's power of attorney. When this arrangement between the partners was terminated, Huling relinquished or sold to Glasscock all the land he had owned on the east side of Brushy Street (now Austin Avenue) in Georgetown in 1850 and 1851. (Williamson County Deed Records, Vol. 1, 20-22, 372, 572)

On February 16, 1857, G. W. Glasscock sold 17 3/4 acres of land "near Georgetown" to Thomas Proctor Hughes for $221.87, with the stipulation that Hughes was to allow 10 varas

(a Spanish, Portuguese, and Latin-American unit of linear measure varying from about 81 to 109 centimeters (32 to 43 inches). on the north end of the property for a street. (Deeds, Vol. 7, 59) This property was described as the Hughes farm for many years, and, as late as 1870 when Georgetown contemplated building a college just north of the Hughes property, the college site was said to be "away out on the prairie" with the only house in sight that of Judge Thos. P. Hughes. The street mentioned in the deed became University Avenue.

On January 19, 1874, Thomas P. Hughes sold one block of his land in Georgetown, which lay in his "field," to Dr. Francis Asbury Mood for $250. The lot was one-third of an acre, 240 feet by 240 feet in size. On this block, Dr. Mood built his family residence, which stood somewhat to the west of the present First Methodist Church, but on the same block the church was later erected. Dr. Mood, a distinguished minister And educator, had arrived in Georgetown late in August 1873 to serve as the first Regent (President) of "Texas University," which was to become Southwestern University on February 6, 1875. The university building stood on the block diagonally to the northeast and just across the street from the block purchased by Dr. Mood for his home.          (Deeds, Vol. 16, 797)

The First Methodist Church, through its Board of Trustees, purchased the east half of the Mood block, by this time designated on city maps as Block No. 2 in the Hughes Addition, from Mrs. Susan R. Mood, widow of Francis Asbury Mood, for $1200, on July 3, 1891. This was a part of the block "upon which I now reside, "the deed reads. Trustees of the church at that time were D. S. Chessher, G. W. Foster, C. C. Cody, M. B. Lockett, J. W. Hodges, R. S. Hyer, D. H. Snyder, J. A. Fain, and J. T. Sneed. (Deeds, Vol. 54, 545) It was on this "east half of the block" that the present First Methodist Church was erected a short time after the purchase.

The heirs of Mrs. Susan R. Mood (J. R. Mood, R. G. Mood, A. M. Mood, W. R. Mood, M. M. McKennon, Amelia Mood Cross and Charles H. Cross) sold the west half of Block No. 2, Hughes Addition, on which their residence stood, to the First Methodist Church Trustees for $4500 on June 10, 1917. The homestead was included in the purchase. Trustees for the church at that time were C. C. Cody, D. H. Snyder, M. B. Lockett, S. A. Hodges, H. E. Pye, J. W. Hodges, G. W. Foster, and C. S. Belford. (Deeds, Vol. 181, 201) With this purchase, the church acquired the entire block, which is bordered now by University Avenue on the north, Ash and Elm streets on the east and west, and 13th Street (origin­ally called Palmetto Street) on the south.

The physical facilities of the First Methodist Church from its beginning in Georgetown in 1849 were several. As previously stated, during its mission and circuit days, the small group of local Methodists held services wherever and whenever they could.

Even as late as October 6, 1873, when the new central Methodist University opened its doors in Georgetown, only thirteen persons from the Georgetown area constituted the membership of the Methodist Church. They were Mrs. Martha F. Allen, Mr. and Mrs. J. M. Busby, Mrs. E. A. Coffee, Mrs. E. Dalrymple, Miss Jennie Dalrymple, Miss Mattie Hughes, Mrs. Margaret Harper, Mr. W. K. Makemson, Mr. and Mrs. J. L. Rucker, Mr. S. A. Scott, Mrs. Sarah Wilbarger and Miss Sarah Wilbarger. In 1874 there was still no church building in Georgetown, "though one was in course of erection, belonging to the Presbyterian Church. Religious services were held in the Court House and in Price's Hall by the Presbyterians, Cumberland Presbyterians, Baptists, and Methodists. There was a union Sunday School, thinly attended," wrote Dr. F. A. Mood in his "Narrative of the Facts." The students and faculty of the new university worshipped with these various congregations until January 1874. "Having completed their building, the Presbyterians proposed to divide the month among the several churches. To the Methodists they offered the use of the building once a month for thirty dollars a year as rent. At a called meeting [held Sunday, January 11, 1874] to consider this proposal and to organize as a Church, thirty-seven people enrolled their names, and submitted a petition to the Trustees asking for the use of the University chapel as a meeting place until they could erect a building of their own. Promptly the Trustees [of the University] granted the request; from that time forward church services, prayer meeting,

and Sunday School were conducted weekly," according to the First Annual Record of the Georgetown Station. Thus the church changed from its mission-circuit status (1849 to 1873) to an organized Methodist Church (1874). For a few years, however, it continued to be served by circuit ministers. In 1875, the circuit was reduced to twelve communities, all of them located in Williamson County. In 1877 the circuit was further reduced, Georgetown and Round Rock being separated from others of the circuit. In 1879, Georgetown was made a station church and the Reverend James Campbell was appointed pastor. Rev. Campbell had been one of the four men in the first graduating class of Southwestern University, receiving his B. A. degree there in 1876.

From 1874, the small church congregation had held worship services in what was called the University chapel--in fact, a room in the old Georgetown College building, a two-story stone structure erected in 1870-1871 by the community and turned over to Southwestern University upon its decision to locate in George­town. The plain, unplastered structure measured about sixty by seventy-five feet, had six classrooms and the chapel which could seat about 400, according Dr. C. C. Cody. Professor S. G. Sanders of the University faculty wrote that he felt as if he were entering a cave as he went in the front door of the building, so rough was the appearance of the unplastered rock walls. The dampness of the building contributed to bronchial ailments suffered by Dr. Mood, who with his family occupied two rooms

on the south first floor of the building for his first years as Regent, until he could build a home. (The Mood finances had been depleted during his years with the ailing universities which were ancestors of Southwestern University. It is said that two of the Mood children were born in the small apartment of the college building.)

The building had no well nor cistern. But Margaret Mood McKennon, a daughter of F. A. and Sue Mood, who became a librarian at Southwestern University and served in that position for many years, described some of the few conveniences of the building, while it was the Mood apartment, the classrooms, and the place of worship for Methodists of Georgetown. "This was

a very convenient arrangement for the pioneers of that day who attended church services, because the mothers could bring their babies and put them to bed in Mrs. Mood's bedroom downstairs, and then in peace of mind, they could attend services above. It was not an unusual occurrence during the services for a little cry or wail to reach the ears of the worshippers above. Then the ladies would quietly slip out, and presently all but one would quietly slip back into her place. This did not cause any confusion or amusement, for it was just one of the customs that the pioneers accepted without question. As the Sunday School grew rapidly along with the development of the University, classes were held in the class rooms and even in the Mood Apartments." In addition, the building offered a constant song recital by small birds which nested in the crevices of the rock walls.The plain, rough building was improved in 1881, when a third story was added, along with a stylish bell tower. The building was also remodeled inside and with the plastering of the walls made more attractive and functional.

One other sign of the times--the railroad--was featured in the local newspaper in 1881. Georgetown had its first rail connection in 1878, two years after the International and Great Northern built from Rockdale to Austin, cutting across southern Williamson County. When the Tap Line was completed in 1878 to intersect that I. & G.-N. line at Round Rock, advertisements and stories indicate that people rode the line to attend worship services in the University building. There were problems, however, on riding the trains. The Williamson County Sun for February 17, 1881, reported that "the train due Monday at 12 did not arrive until after dark. The engine ran short of water at Round Rock and had to wait until it could be supplied." The next month, on March 3, 1881, the same newspaper noted that Reverend G. W. Graves and Reverend W. F. Gillespie had to wait several hours in Round Rock for the Georgetown-bound train. They finally despaired and chartered a hack to return them to the county seat, but were passed along the road by the train!

In 1881, the Methodists were "taking active steps to build a church on a part of the Reagan or Chapman block near the Female Institute" at a cost of about $4,000, with J. N. Preston of Austin as architect, according to Williamson County Sun of April 28, 1881. Bids were requested in the issue of June 9, 1881. Ground was broken for the structure which was located southwest of the University campus on April 3, 1882. It stood on the southwest corner of the block which is one block north and one block east of the block of the First Methodist Church in 1974. The earlier church was never completed for, after the first floor was finished, funds were exhausted and the proposed second floor was omitted. Since the first floor was partially below ground level, the building had a flat, dugout-like appearance. Each member furnished his own wooden bench. Ladies of the church "improved the worshipful atmosphere by pasting pastel paper over the windows." The organ, brought from Chappell Hill, was played by Mrs. E. E. Chrietzberg. It was in this chapel, according to church historian Felix B. Secrest, that such men as John M. Barcus, J. Sam Barcus, Frank Onderdonk, John R. Nelson, Bishop H. A. Boaz, Emmitt Hightower, and W. B. McKeown entered the ministry. When Dr. Francis Asbury Mood died in 1884, he was buried near the chapel. His remains were moved to the Georgetown I. 0. O. F. Cemetery when the chapel was demolished after the turn of the century.

In 1891, plans were underway to build a more substantial Methodist church. Dr. Robert Stewart Hyer, member of the congregation and a teacher of physics at Southwestern University, had all his life been interested in architecture and offered to draw the plans. He designed the sanctuary in the shape of a Greek Cross, then built a scale model of wood and tin three feet high with which he could demonstrate the plans to construction workers. Georgetown's well-known Belford Lumber Company, who erected many substantial buildings of the area for many decades, furnished their Swedish carpenters for the job. The Waterston family, stone cutters from the British Isles who had worked on the State Capitol and were in business in Austin, cut the stone by hand. It was hauled from quarries west of Georgetown by mule team. The church financed Dr. Hyer's trips to San Antonio and Austin to select furnishings, but the professor donated the remainder of his services. Lighting was by hanging kerosene lamps. Miss Mamie Howren, organist, played a foot pump organ, and Miss Florence Boyer was choir director.

The construction of the sanctuary continued through 1892 and 1893, after which it was nearly enough finished to be put into use. In 1896, when remaining indebtedness on the church was liquidated by borrowing $1800 from the Board of Extension, Methodist Episcopal Church South of Louisville, Ky., the dedication of the Church was held. (Deed Records Vol. 78, 454-458)

After services could be held in the new sanctuary, the old chapel building, cater-cornered across the street to the northeast of the new church, continued in use for the Sunday School. It also provided a kind of substitute for a public library in Georgetown, according to writer Hamilton Wright. He said, "Well do I remember it. It had a weekly patron--myself. And some of the books I read in my teens remain indelibly in mind. . . . Usually in Sunday school classes we wrote down our name and the title of the book we wished to read. Before the class dismissed, a kind of colporteur came with an armful of books and distributed them among those who had ordered. Well do I remember two fine Sunday school teachers who urged us to read good literature. One was Miss Fannie Clower and another a Miss Margaret McLean. The latter was as I recall, the daughter of a pioneer educator and Methodist minister." (Hamilton Wright in Williamson County .Sun, October 15, 1970).

The same writer recalled another event of his early years about a new clergyman at First Methodist Church. "How a new minister impresses an 11-year old boy is typical. The Methodist Church had been assigned a new preacher. He was the illustrious minister, the late Rev. J. G. Putman. He introduced himself the first Sunday of his pastorate. 'My name is Putman,' he began. 'There's a little town in West Texas named Putnam. That's not the way to spell my name. It is P-U-T-man.' (Ibid.)

As already mentioned in the history of land acquisition of the church, in 1917 First Methodist Church purchased the west half of the block on which the church stood, thereby giving

the church possession of the entire block. The purchase included the Mood residence, which had been occupied by Dr. Mood and his family for about four decades. The church used the home as a meeting place for Sunday School and Epworth League, and it was shortly after this time that the old chapel was removed from the site northeast of the church.

In 1929 during the pastorate of Dr. Edmund Heinsohn, plans were drawn for the educational wing of the church. The Mood home was torn down and replaced by the new wing, which was completed in 1933. Indebtedness on the educational building was retired in 1943, at which time the building was dedicated while the Reverend Dwight L. McCree was pastor.

Plans for remodeling and redecorating the sanctuary were drawn during the Reverend James William Morgan's pastorate and completed in 1954. In 1964, the entire church was air conditioned and the educational building was remodeled during the ministry of the Reverend Lively Brown.

The first parsonage known to have been furnished by the Church in Georgetown was located in the 800 block of Walnut Street and was supplied during the pastorate of the Reverend George W. Graves (1876-1878). .The second parsonage was in the 1000 block of South Church Street on property which the church purchased April 12, 1881, from D. H. Snyder for $1,069.29. Trustees of the church at that time were J. L. Rucker, J. W. Hodges, S. G. Sanders, A. S. Howren, J. W. Lane, S. M. Lesesne, and D. H. Snyder. The deed (Vol. 26, page 54) was to the east half of Block No. 22 in the. Glasscock Addition to Georgetown, property which D. H. Snyder had purchased June 10, 1880, from W. R. Reagan and Sarah M. Reagan. In acquiring this property, the church received the one-half block of land, plus rights to improvements upon it. One may judge, according to the prices of that day, that some kind of home or building must have stood on the half block bought by the church. The deed stated that the property was "for the use and benefit of the Methodist Episcopal Church South upon which to erect a Church and a Par­sonage." The parsonage may have been built there; it is known that the minister occupied a home in that locality--either new, erected earlier by previous owners, or possibly remodeled. No church was ever built there, however. It was only a year later that the church broke ground for the chapel on the University campus, previously described. Apparently, between April 1881 (when the property was bought on which to build a church and parsonage--plans also described in the Williamson County Sun of April 28, 1881) and April, 1882 (when the chapel was started on the University grounds) the church had changed its mind about where to locate its place of worship. The third parsonage was erected on Block 2 of the Hughes Addition, just south of the church which was built 1891-1893. The two story frame residence at that site was used as the parsonage until 1958, when it was removed and a new parsonage erected, holding open house on April 20, 1958•

First Methodist Church, of Georgetown has been one of the leading churches in the town since its organization and is closely aligned in many respects with the Methodist institution of higher learning, Southwestern University. The church has served the students of the University as well as Methodists throughout Georgetown. Since this first church was organized, four other Methodist churches have been added in the town. Its influence throughout the community has been strong and good through its support of high religious and social ideals in the community as well as throughout the world. The choice of Georgetown as the site for a central Methodist University in 1873, the school which became Southwestern University, was a particularly significant event associated with the church. Several of the church members and the Reverend William Monk, its circuit preacher, were among those who worked to make Georgetown's selection possible. The church has been frequently visited and served by some of Methodism's outstanding leaders. A complete list would be long, indeed, but especially one should mention the brothers, A. Frank Smith and w. Angie Smith, who at different times reached the decision to enter the ministry while members of the First Methodist Church at Georgetown. Both were later made Bishops of the church and both frequently made visits back to their school, Southwestern University, and to the church they knew as youths. W. Kenneth Pope, who was  pastor of First Church from 1933 until 1935, was also later made a Bishop of the Church.

A. Frank Smith was born November 1, 1889, died October 5, 1962. His brother, W. Angie Smith, was born December 21, 1894, three died March 15, 1974. These brothers were one of A sets of two brothers ever to become Bishops in the Methodist Church. W. Kenneth Pope, born November 21, 1901, is still living.

The proposed marker for the First Methodist Church of Georgetown would replace one previously granted, but which contains one error in date, and an incorrect statement regarding Bishops A. Frank and W. Angie Smith, both of whom made the decision to enter the ministry at the First Church of Georgetown, but who were never pastors of the church. Since the church has played such an important role in the community, as well as in Methodism of the State of Texas, a marker is considered appropriate.

First United Methodist Church Appendix .pdf