Liberty Baptist Church - Plano
Willow Bend Baptist Church, formerly known as Liberty Baptist, celebrated its 160th anniversary on February 21, 2010.
Collin County had only been organized for four years, when a band of 11 Christian pioneers "constituted" Liberty Baptist Church at the log cabin of Brother Henry Cook on White Rock Creek. Elder Eli Witt, one of the organizers, served as the first pastor from that inaugural meeting on February 16, 1850 until 1856. Witt was a circuit pastor, who founded several churches in North Texas and rode on horseback through the still wild prairie to pastor them. One hundred and sixty years later, Liberty Church, now known as Willow Bend Church, is recognized by historians as the oldest Baptist congregation in continuous existence in the county.
Liberty Church's congregation first met at Cook's two room cabin, just north of Baccus Cemetery on the northwest corner of today's Bishop Road and Legacy Drive.
A few years later, a log church was built on prairie land where the present church stands on 5701 W. Park Boulevard, about one mile west of Preston Road. This property was several miles south of Cook's cabin, and was also located on the Shawnee Trail, the major route for cattleman driving cattle to northern cities. On February 20, 1886, J.F Purcell who owned the acreage, conveyed "one acre more or less, for the sum of ten dollars and the condition that the property be used solely for church purposes" to the Trustees of Liberty Church. According to historians, a new white frame building was dedicated in 1885, a year before the property was deeded, and stood until it was razed in 1975. In 1979 Liberty Baptist Church was awarded a Texas Historical Marker.
Collin County had only been organized for four years, when a band of 11 Christian pioneers "constituted" Liberty Baptist Church at the log cabin of Brother Henry Cook on White Rock Creek. Elder Eli Witt, one of the organizers, served as the first pastor from that inaugural meeting on February 16, 1850 until 1856. Witt was a circuit pastor, who founded several churches in North Texas and rode on horseback through the still wild prairie to pastor them. One hundred and sixty years later, Liberty Church, now known as Willow Bend Church, is recognized by historians as the oldest Baptist congregation in continuous existence in the county.
Liberty Church's congregation first met at Cook's two room cabin, just north of Baccus Cemetery on the northwest corner of today's Bishop Road and Legacy Drive.
A few years later, a log church was built on prairie land where the present church stands on 5701 W. Park Boulevard, about one mile west of Preston Road. This property was several miles south of Cook's cabin, and was also located on the Shawnee Trail, the major route for cattleman driving cattle to northern cities. On February 20, 1886, J.F Purcell who owned the acreage, conveyed "one acre more or less, for the sum of ten dollars and the condition that the property be used solely for church purposes" to the Trustees of Liberty Church. According to historians, a new white frame building was dedicated in 1885, a year before the property was deeded, and stood until it was razed in 1975. In 1979 Liberty Baptist Church was awarded a Texas Historical Marker.
LIBERTY BAPTIST CHURCH
SETTLERS MET FOR WORSHIP IN
HENRY COOK'S REMOTE LOG CABIN
KNOWN AS "LONESOME HOUSE". LIBERTY
BAPTIST CHURCH WAS FORMED ON
FEB. 16, 1850. ELDER ELI WITT SERVED
UNTIL 1856 AS THE FIRST PASTOR. IN
A FEW YEARS THE CONGREGATION
BUILT A LOG MEETINGHOUSE ON THIS
LAND WHICH BELONGED TO J. F.
PURCELL. IN 1885 A NEW WHITE
FRAME STRUCTURE WAS ERECTED.
THE FOLLOWING YEAR PURCELL
DEEDED THIS ONE-ACRE TRACT TO THE
FELLOWSHIP. THIS BRICK STRUCTURE
WAS ERECTED IN 1976. LIBERTY
BAPTIST CHURCH IS THE OLDEST
BAPTIST CONGREGATION IN CONTINUOUS
SERVICE IN COLLIN COUNTY.
Texas Historical marker, 1979
SETTLERS MET FOR WORSHIP IN
HENRY COOK'S REMOTE LOG CABIN
KNOWN AS "LONESOME HOUSE". LIBERTY
BAPTIST CHURCH WAS FORMED ON
FEB. 16, 1850. ELDER ELI WITT SERVED
UNTIL 1856 AS THE FIRST PASTOR. IN
A FEW YEARS THE CONGREGATION
BUILT A LOG MEETINGHOUSE ON THIS
LAND WHICH BELONGED TO J. F.
PURCELL. IN 1885 A NEW WHITE
FRAME STRUCTURE WAS ERECTED.
THE FOLLOWING YEAR PURCELL
DEEDED THIS ONE-ACRE TRACT TO THE
FELLOWSHIP. THIS BRICK STRUCTURE
WAS ERECTED IN 1976. LIBERTY
BAPTIST CHURCH IS THE OLDEST
BAPTIST CONGREGATION IN CONTINUOUS
SERVICE IN COLLIN COUNTY.
Texas Historical marker, 1979
