History
In 1856, the First Baptist Church of Weatherford was organized by a Texas Baptist missionary, Noah T. Byers, who was sent by the Texas Baptist State Convention to establish churches in Waco; Birdwell, in Tarrant County; and in the newly established Parker County. Rev. Byers, who first served as pastor in churches near his home and was then appointed a missionary, was given $75 to plant new churches in these pioneer areas. Rev. Byers came to Texas in 1835 from South Carolina and first settled in Washington-on-the-Brazos, Texas. It was there that the Texas Constitutional Convention met and the Texas Declaration of Independence was signed in his blacksmith shop.
On July 5 and 6, 1856 a small group of Parker County settlers met with Rev. Byers six miles northeast of what would become the city of Weatherford. The meeting took place in the home of Anderson & Sarah Green. The Green’s and nine other individuals would become charter members of the United Missionary Baptist Church of Christ of Weatherford with Rev. Byers as its first pastor.
For two years the members traveled the long road by horse and buggy or wagon to the Green’s home. The group decided after those two years to move the church to Weatherford. This decision was likely prompted by the long and uncertain journey each week to the Green’s home due to the ever-present danger of Indian attacks, wild animals, and outlaws.
The United Missionary Baptist Church of Christ of Weatherford met in homes of its members until the congregation became too large and then met in the two-story Masonic Lodge on the town square. Though the Church was growing, there was no urgency to erect a Church building due to the continual problems with the Comanche Indians and the unrest caused by the Civil War.
In 1869, a committee was appointed to select a site to build a new Church. Two lots, 75 X 150 feet, were purchased on West Church Street for $100, consisting of the south half of the block from Alamo to Waco Streets. Later the east end of the property was sold to the Cumberland Presbyterian Church for $100 and there they built an impressive redbrick sanctuary with stained glass windows and a two-story frame parsonage.
The Baptist congregation erected a plain frame church building, 32 X 62 feet, on the corner of Alamo and West Church Streets, at a cost of $2,505.60. It stood where the three-story west educational building now stands. It was in 1870 that the name of the Church was changed to the First Baptist Church of Weatherford.
The church membership began to outgrow the small frame church, as reported in the minutes of the Church in 1884. In a Church conference, called for the purpose of making plans for a new sanctuary, it was decided that a new building should be erected at a cost of not less than $10,000.
Later, the Building Committee reported that the present lot was too small for the planned building so an adjoining lot on the corner of Alamo and Palo Pinto Streets was purchased for $850. A new large stone sanctuary was completed in 1896 at a cost of $35,000. The old small frame building, which was no longer needed, was sold for $75 and moved. A large open-air tabernacle was later built on its former location and was used for many occasions including programs for the city, Chautauqua’s, revivals, and basketball. Later it was enclosed and used for educational space.
In 1949, the tabernacle was removed and a three-story educational building was built. The educational building was completely gutted and rebuilt in 1985 with newly arranged walls, new ceilings, floor coverings, and furniture. The present sanctuary was completed in 1960 and remodeled later with the addition of a pipe organ. The Family Life Center and Preschool Suite, which houses the Christian Childcare Center, was added in 1975 and the new east educational building for adult Bible study was completed in 1996.Property on the south side of West Church Street was gradually acquired. The Martin home (directly across from the west educational building) was purchased for use as a parsonage, later used as the Church office, and lastly used for Sunday School classes and Missions organizations.
It was torn down in 1996 to make room for more parking. The Gilbert House, south of the current Church office on Waco Street, was acquired and became “Our House” for the singles ministry and was used for the Youth Minister’s home. Currently, the house is used for storage and other uses. The large two-story brick "Beene" home on West Oak Street was purchased by the Church for the Youth Ministry. But currently, it is used as the home of the Minister to Students. A dentist office, owned by Dr. Orm, at the corner of Waco and West Church Streets was purchased for use as the Church office.
The Church has a long-standing involvement in starting missions. A group of 19 members were granted letters of dismissal on September 6, 1892 to organize a church in western Parker County at Greenwood. Today, that church is Greenwood Baptist Church. Then in 1897 a group of members were given letters of membership to organize on the north side of town at what is now the North Side Baptist Church. More recently, the Eureka Baptist Church was started as a mission in 1950. Since then the First Baptist Church of Willow Park was started as a mission of First Baptist Church. Likewise, the Lakeshore Baptist Church was begun as a mission. An ongoing mission of the Church is Primera Iglesia Bautista. It was started in 1984 and consituted into a church in 2005.