Las Sabinas, Volume 35, Number 4, 2009 Page: 9
This periodical is part of the collection entitled: Las Sabinas History Journal and was provided to The Portal to Texas History by the Orange County Historical Society.
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EARLY HISTORY OF
FIRST CHRISTIAN CHURCH
(DISCIPLES OF CHRIST)
ORANGE, TEXAS 1885- PRESENT
First Christian Church located at 611 9" St. in Orange, Texas, has been serving
the Orange community for over 120 years. The congregation of the denomination
which calls itself Disciples of Christ was started when in 1885 ten members formed
the nucleus of the congregation, some of whom were baptized in the Sabine River by
Rev. D.A. Leak.
For nine years the congregation met in various places, probably including homes
of members. The congregation was formally organized by Rev. J.C. Mason in
November of 1894. Their first meeting was in the Orange County Courthouse.
A revival meeting was held in that same year by the Rev. and Mrs. A.J. Bush,
who were the first superintendent and manager of the Juliet Fowler Homes for
orphans in Dallas, Texas, a prominent charitable institution of Disciples of Christ in
Texas. (1)
In a warranty deed dated December 26, 1894 and filed December 28, 1894 we
find that James B. Seargent and his wife Sallie purchased from Annette J. Hucker and
husband H.C. Hucker lot no. 7, block 23 in the city of Orange. This property was
given for the church building. It is located on the corner of ninth and main and is
now presently being used by the First Church of God of Orange. (2)
In 1895 a small frame church building was erected on the comer lot with the door
facing the corner. A two story parsonage was built in the rear of the church in 1919.
In 1922 the church building was remodeled with the entrance opening from a porch
on the north.
Early Lay Leaders
Pioneer members included Capt. and Mrs. I.H. Bettis, Mr. and Mrs. B. Seargent,
Mr. and Mrs. Dawson and daughters Zelma and Flora, Mrs. A.E. Smith and
Elizabeth, who became Mrs. W.A. Black. Their son William Arthur Black founded
Black's floral shop in Orange in 1922 and was a graduate of TCU. Mr. and Mrs.
Seargent were the ones who bought the original church property on ninth and main.
Capt. and Mrs. Bettis bought the bell for the church and the first organ. Capt. Bettis
was a retired steamboat captain and purchased the bell on one of his last trips to St.
Louis.9
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Orange County Historical Society (Tex.). Las Sabinas, Volume 35, Number 4, 2009, periodical, 2009; Orange, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth312948/m1/15/?q=Lamar+University: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Orange County Historical Society.