History of the First Baptist Church, Austin, Texas Page: 9
31 p. illus. 23 cm.View a full description of this book.
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church, very dear in memory to perhaps a majority of
the present members. The house was a two-story
building, about 80x80 feet, facing west. It was very
substantially constructed of stone; had large square
windows with green blinds; and a flat roof. It must
have been finished sometime in 1857, for in one of
Mr. Talaferro's letters dated December 17, 1857, he
says: "As Austin is the capital of the State, as all
the other denominations in Austin have regular pastors,
and as our brethren have been exceedingly liberal
in erecting a house of worship, it becomes my duty
under God to devote myself to the church here."
Before passing on, it is interesting to notice the
surroundings of this then handsome building. Across
the street west stood, as now, the Governor's Mansion,
erected according to Mr. Frank Brown, in 1855.
On the hill where our granite Capitol stands was the
old white capitol chiefly of limestone, with the twostory
building just at the northeast corner occupied
by the Comptroller's and Treasury Department. The
old Land Office on the east had just been finished.
St. David's church stood on its hill where it stands
now, and the little Catholic church, now on Ninth and
Brazos Streets, had been already erected. So far as
I know there were no other large church buildings,
though the Methodists, Presbyterians and Christians
had houses of worship. Most of the other buildings
were frame, log or adobe.
The Baptist Bell
A most important part of this church building, important
because used by the community as well as the
church, was the bell which hung in the small square
belfry on the southwest corner of the roof. This bell,
an unusually good one for any time, was presented the
Church by Mr. G. W. Glasscock, Sr., and it cost him
$500.00. He said he wanted a bell loud enough to
call all his children to church. I have been told by
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Brooks, Mrs. V. L. History of the First Baptist Church, Austin, Texas, book, 1923; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth33019/m1/10/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Austin History Center, Austin Public Library.