Smith, Frank A., United Methodist Church

Circuit riding preachers served the Methodists of this community as early as 1845. The first written records of this church date from 1852, when the Rev. Andrew Cummings (1817-1882) organized the fellowship as a station of the newly established Rusk circuit. Originally a Methodist society, it became in 1866 the Methodist Episcopal Church South of Alto. Early services were held in the schoolhouse. In 1887 A. C. Harrison (1841-1924) and his wife Virginia (1843-1912) donated land at the site of the present-day parsonage for the congregation's first church building. Dr. C. W. Fisher, Mrs. Harrison's brother, designed the one-room spired structure and built a scale model of it. The building was enlarged under the leadership of the Rev. J. W. Johnson, who was named pastor in 1909, when Alto became a full-time station with weekly services. A new sanctuary was built on the present site in 1921. It was dedicated in 1935 at a ceremony led by Bishop A. Frank Smith (1889-1962), who began his ministry as interim pastor of this church. In 1960 the present building was erected and the congregation renamed to honor Bishop Smith.

Smith, Frank A., United Methodist Church is a historical marker in Alto, Cherokee County, dedicated in 1977. It is one of 112 historical markers documented in Cherokee County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 245 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 31.6512, -95.0732 near Alto. The nearest cataloged historic site is Terrell Lodge No. 83 (historical marker), about 0.1 miles away. Others within a short drive include Alto City, Mitchell, Robert F., and Hill, Stella Salmon.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5073006959. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.