St. Pauls Episcopal Church is the only one of
three early Episcopal churches in this vicinity that has survived.
The first church began at Old Washington in 1848, when the Rev. Niles
Pierce visited the Capitol of Texas. Great interest was shown in having
an Episcopal Chur h and $500 was pledged for a church building, which
was completed in 1854. This small cedar church was names, "St.
Pauls" and was consecrated in 1862, twelve years after
the church was organized. The second church, The Redeemer Churchat
Anderson was organized July 27, 1851 and existed until 1887.
The third church was the group worshipping from 1860 to 1865 in the
old school house at Navasota (this information was noted in the Council
notes of 1864); the Rev. R. S. Seely, Rector of St. Pauls, Old
Washington, conducted the monthly services.
Through the missionary zeal of the Rt. Rev. Alexander Gregg, a number
of mission station s were established in 1865. Among these stations
were Navasota, Millican, Courtney and Columbus. Bishop Gregg made
himself available to minister to as many people as possible. Bishop
Gregg hoped to follow the railroad with a succession of gothis churches
extending like a line of forts from the Gulf of Mexico to the Rio
Colorado.
In 1866, the H. & T.C. Railroad was building northward and donated
a block of land to the churc; this block was #58 and located on Cedar
Creek, near the Schumacher Oil Mill. In this same year, 1866, the
church at Navasota came alive to the degree that upon Bishop Greggs
visit on June 5, 1866, a parish was organized taking the name "The
Church of the Holy Comforter". To begin with, the Rev. R. S.
Seeley conducted congregation services once a month in Navasota. On
June 14, 1866, at the annual Diocesan Convention, the Church of the
Holy Comforter was admitted to the Diocese of Texas.
In 1869, the church in Navasota was added to the missionary circuit
of congregations. In 1870, just after the civil War, the red cedar
church was moved from old Washington to Navasota, which was a growing
town. The church was moved and rebuilt for $600. In 1870 the Diocesan
Council gave its consent to rename the church from Church of the Holy
Comforter to St. Pauls. In 1890, an active church member of
English background was hired as the contractor to rebuild the church
on a new lot, and this building was modeled from an English village-gothic
church. It was completed in 1891, and was consecrated by Bishop George
Herbert Kinsolving on easter Day, April 5, 1896. Some of the materials
and furnishings came from the old original cedar church building moved
from old Washington, including winscotting, beams and joists, furniture
and benches.
Since 1891, some renovations and improvements have been made, but
care has been taken not to disturb the original appearance and beauty
of the church. The new parish hall was completed in 1981 and is a
memorial to Dr. Marius Hansen, devoted husband, father, physician,
and churchman.
[ Home ]
[ Church Life ]
[ What's Happening ]
[ Our Historic Parish ]
[ Who's Who ]
[ + Links ]