First United Methodist Church of Clarendon

When the Rev. Lewis H. Carhart, a Methodist minister, founded Clarendon, he envisioned it as a religious and educational center. The town was established in 1878 near the junction of Carroll Creek and the Salt Fork of the Red River, six miles north of its present location. Local cowboys nicknamed the settlement "Saint's Roost" because it had no saloons. The first building erected was a combination church and school. Until the turn-of-the-century, there was a Northern Methodist Church in the community. When the railroad arrived in 1887, Clarendon moved to its present site. The Rev. James T. Hosmer, a circuit rider, conducted Methodist services in private homes. In 1888 the Rev. Isaac L. Mills and 15 charter members organized the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. In 1890 the fellowship erected a frame church building on the southeast corner of Kearney and 4th Street. Membership increased significantly after the founding in 1898 of Clarendon Methodist College, forerunner of Clarendon Junior College. To accommodate the growing congregation, this large classical revival structure was built in 1910, during the pastorate of the Rev. O. P. Kiker. The original roof was replaced in 1950. (1978)

First United Methodist Church of Clarendon is a historical marker in Clarendon, Donley County, dedicated in 1978. It is one of 12 historical markers documented in Donley County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 15 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 34.9381, -100.8925 near Clarendon. The nearest cataloged historic site is Martin--Lowe House (historic place), about 0.1 miles away. Others within a short drive include Church of St. John Baptist, Stockton P. Donley, and Clarendon Motor Company Building.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5129001884. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.