Methodist Church Concord
Also known as: Woods Methodist Church
Why it's listed
Woods Methodist Church, near Tenaha in Panola County, is a plain one-room pine church built in 1876-1877 by members of the local community. It replaced an earlier log church, built before 1858 and known as Methodist Church Concord, which also served as a schoolhouse. The building sits on piers, has white clapboard siding, tall nine-over-nine windows for light and ventilation, and a gabled roof. A foyer and belfry added in 1900 are its only structural alterations. Inside, pine wainscoting and wallpaper cover the walls. The church was founded before 1858 by Sara Bryan and James B. Armstrong, and the cemetery behind it was established in 1858. In a rough, thinly settled region of cotton farms, it gave scattered families a central gathering place. It is valued as a rare surviving example of a simple East Texas vernacular church, and it remains in use for worship.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents it as a once-common but now rare example of a nineteenth-century East Texas vernacular church with a strictly utilitarian plan. It is also tied to the settlement of a sparsely populated area, where the church served as a central meeting place for scattered settlers. It was the first church in the area, and it still retains its sense of time and place.
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 80004144, listed September 8, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | SE of Carthage off TX 59, Carthage |
|---|---|
| County | Panola County |
| Listed | September 8, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80004144 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 (specific dates 1876-1877) |
| Architect / builder | Local Craftsmen |
| Architectural style | Texas vernacular architecture (East Texas vernacular church) |
| Areas of significance | Exploration/Settlement, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Excellent condition, occupied, and still used as a church; the cemetery behind it holds markers dated 1876 to 1979. |
| Acreage | 3.4 |
| Coordinates | 32.00691, -94.24737 (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 80004144.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14711044
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.