First Methodist Church
Also known as: First United Methodist Chruch; Methodist Episcopal Church of South Marshall
Why it's listed
Built between 1860 and 1861, this stuccoed brick church at 300 East Houston Street in Marshall, Texas, is a rare example of monumentally scaled Greek Revival church architecture in the state. Its north front has a four-column portico with massive square columns, topped by an octagonal cupola added in 1949. Local slave labor fired the bricks, with Alexander Pope as mason and Billington Smalley as carpenter. Additions in 1927, 1949 and 1958 extended the south end for classrooms, offices and a chapel while leaving the main facade largely intact. During the Civil War, Marshall was a strategic Confederate city. The church hosted the first Trans-Mississippi conference of governors in 1862, was used for Confederate supply storage, and later served as a legislative hall for Missouri's exiled government. Enoch Mather Marvin, its pastor, was elected bishop in 1866. The congregation continues to use the building.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is one of the few monumentally scaled Greek Revival churches in Texas. It was also a notable site in the Civil War, hosting the first Trans-Mississippi conference called by Confederate President Jefferson Davis in 1862. A later amendment raised the level of significance to national under Criterion A and state under Criterion C.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 80004133, listed July 16, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 300 E. Houston St., Marshall |
|---|---|
| County | Harrison County |
| Listed | July 16, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80004133 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1860-1949 |
| Architect / builder | Pope, Alexander (mason); Smalley, Billington (carpenter) |
| Architectural style | Mid-19th Century: Greek Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Military, Politics/Government, Architecture |
| Level of significance | National, State, Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used as a religious facility, with education and sports uses; described as in excellent condition and carefully maintained. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 32.62587, -94.36652 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
Religious properties are listed for their architectural or historical significance, not their religious use. Listing is honorary and does not restrict the congregation's use of the building. The federal rehabilitation credit is generally unavailable unless part of the building is income-producing; some state programmes and preservation grants do cover religious buildings. Federal funding or permits trigger Section 106 review.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 80004133.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5453276
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.