Plano First Christian Church
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FIRST CHRISTIAN CHURCH OF PLANO
KENTUCKY NATIVES WILLIAM AND RUTH FORMAN MOVED TO TEXAS IN 1846, AND ACQUIRED LAND THAT INCLUDED THE FUTURE LOCATION OF PLANO. THE FORMAN'S DAUGHTER LETITIA MARRIED GEORGE BARNETT IN 1853. THE BARNETTS BOUGHT LAND NORTHWEST OF PLANO ALONG SPRING CREEK. THE FIRST CHRISTIAN CHURCH WAS ESTABLISHED IN THE MID-1850s ON THE BARNETT FARM. A SMALL FRAME BUILD- ING SERVED AS BOTH A SCHOOL AND CHURCH, WITH TRAVEL- ING MINISTERS SERVING THE CHURCH. IN 1873, ANOTHER CHURCH BUILDING WAS ERECTED ON THE CORNER OF EAST 16TH STREET AND AVENUE G IN PLANO. THE STRUCTURE CONSISTED OF ONE LARGE ROOM WITH A CENTER AISLE, COAL OIL LAMPS, AND A SINGLE TABLE SERVING AS BOTH A PULPIT AND COMMUNION TABLE. DURING THE FIFTY-YEAR PERIOD FROM 1899-1949 CALLED THE "GOLDEN AGE" BY THE MEMBERS, THE CHURCH EXPERIENCED SIGNIFICANT GROWTH AND A LARGER STRUCTURE WAS BUILT AT EAST 15TH STREET ON THE CORNER OF AVENUE H. IN LATER YEARS ANOTHER SANCTUARY WAS NEEDED TO ACCOMO- DATE CONTINUED GROWTH. AN ACTIVE PART OF THE COMMUNITY SINCE ITS BEGIN- NINGS, THE CONGREGATION MAINTAINS AN OUTREACH PROGRAM AND ADMINISTERS SCHOLARSHIPS THAT BENEFIT THE CITI- ZENS OF THE AREA AND BEYOND. Texas Historical marker, 1996 |
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