Historic Montgomery Co. church built by freedmen in need of prayer and repair: 'It's irreplaceable'

WILLIS, Texas (KTRK) -- A commanding white wooden structure has stood on Martin Luther King Boulevard in Montgomery County since 1899. Built by the hands of freedmen after Emancipation, Thomas Chapel United Methodist Church pre-dates the city surrounding it.

The builder's descendants are working with preservationists to keep the historic landmark from becoming lost history.

If the walls could talk, they'd tell the story of a community of freedmen and their families who spent about 30 years saving up money to construct a church building. In their stoic silence, the voices of descendants rise under the rafters like a Sunday morning worship song.

Cynthia Stubblefield Walker is a direct descendant of the founders. "My dad went there. My grandmother went there. I went all the way back, all the way from the initial emancipation. We've always attended Thomas Chapel," she said.

She can trace her family line over a century to the names etched into Thomas Chapel United Methodist Church's cornerstone. She said the church was known to produce teachers, doctors, lawyers, and other community leaders.

Walker called the building the heart of Willis' Black community. "We have a church building with a history, and so we can walk through the history," she said.

Like scripture, their story is recorded on a marker from the state, which signifies the sacred space as a historic site. Despite the clear picture of the past, there are questions about Thomas Chapel's future.

"We've done a lot of physical restoration on it. We need to restore it back to its rightful place in the community in that being a hub and having a pastor with vitality and energy to move forward into the next chapter," Walker said.

The gothic Victorian structure needed about $35,000 worth of work. One preservationist also has a vision for the 500-pound church bell the freedmen bought for $60 in 1901. It's still up in the tower. It hasn't rung for more than 50 years because the braces have rotted.

"I would like to be able to bring that bell back," Anne Meador said. "But it's going to cost a little money to fix it."

Meador is the president of the local history task force and said she felt a calling to help the congregation keep their church.

"I know it's irreplaceable. It's unusual," Meador said. "It's recognized by the state as very valuable landmark, and it's recognized in this community."

"I was surprised at how interested she was," Walker said. "I'll tell you something. I wish I could get 10 more Annes!"

Meador and Walker are working together to raise the money for repair work by preaching the good news about the oldest church building in continuous use in Montgomery County.

"We've got to promote the idea of the building and make sure it's in people's minds that it's an important building that needs to be saved. History is a perishable commodity, and when it's gone, it's gone forever," Meador said.

"We don't want to lose the anchor for the community, so we just need to do what it takes to restore it and maintain it and help it to grow," Walker added.

Through community support, they have raised the money to level the foundation, replace water and sewer lines, and fix the air conditioning. Meador said the workers were amazed by how sturdy and well-built the structure is. They still need about $15,000 to replace the leaky roof and repair water damage. They're collecting donations on GoFundMe.

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