$693,000 needed to restore the First Christian Church

The City of Howe itself is only 21 years older than the building that was formerly the First Christian Church that rests on the southeast corner of O’Connell and Denny Streets. Opened in 1893, the church was disbanded in 1982 and was given to The City of Howe to maintain. For a period of time, the city used it as the Community Center and later the Historical Society used it as a museum, but even the enormous efforts of the community leaders such as Jean Norman, JC and Carrie Waller, Norma Wallace couldn’t raise enough of the costly resources to renovate the old structure.

After the Historical Society folded, the city was left with the old structure that sits in its current state of decay.

In 2010, the city contracted Oak Hill Contractors to provide a detailed estimate to renovate the asbestos-filled structure. That estimate came to a total of $693,200 of which $56,000 was profit from the renovation.

City Administrator Joe Shephard says that the city does not have the amount required to restore the facility and that even the grants that are available from different state agencies normally require a substantial amount of matching funds that would seriously tie up cash flow for the city.

Per the gift requirements, the city cannot sell the property or give it away. It is the same type of agreement that was made for Ferguson Field.

The church is the only one left of the four Howe Protestant churches that were similarly built in the same period of time. Each of the other similar structures were eventually torn down for newer sanctuaries.  However, the First Christian Church dwindled and a new sanctuary was never realized.

According to an article written by Hazel Bearden Rutherford The First Christian of Howe was founded by early Texans including George Miller, J.A. Hughes, Henry Stevens and others.

As stated, the church was erected in 1893. The lot was purchased from J.T. and Minnie B. Simpson for $350, and the building was erected soon after the land was purchased. The ground was leveled by Tas Gee and the building was constructed by Charlie Hanna, J.W. Bearden, John Grigg and his son Frank I. Grigg.

The pulpit, which was recently restored and is now at the Howe Community Center, was given to the church by the Governor of Texas, Charles A. Culberson, who was a friend of J.A. Hugues, one of the church members.

During the church’s many years of existence, numerous revivals were held in the church yard beneath some beautiful silver maple trees.

The church celebrated its 75th anniversary before the church closed in 1982 because of a decline in membership.