Object Type: Folder
In Folder: Churches
Images of the Wesley United Methodist Church from the Austin Files collection. The congregation of Wesley United Methodist Church (formerly Wesley Chapel Methodist Episcopal Church) was established at the end of the Civil War for freed people in the Austin area. On March 4, 1865 the first official church meeting was held in the basement of the old Tenth Street M.E. Church, South, in Austin, Texas. In the spring of 1882, the cornerstone of a new church was laid at the corner of Ninth and Neches Streets downtown. The Wesley Chapel Church was referred to during that time as “Old Wesley on the Hill” which by 19th century standards, was an impressive edifice. In 1929, the church later acquired a plot of ground facing Hackberry, Navasota, and San Bernard Streets where our present sanctuary is located. In 1928, a city ordinance of segregation was issued to the Negro citizens and the Ninth and Neches location was purchased by the Board of Trustees of the Austin Public Schools for the amount $17,500. The new church was built for the amount of $50,000 during the Great Depression. Wesley has developed a number of ministries in response to the spiritual needs of its members. Wesley’s interest in community and education dates back to its early beginnings when for several years, Samuel Huston College (now Huston-Tillotson University) held most of its classes and conducted Vesper Service in the Church. Wesley continues to hold an important place in the civic life of the Austin Community, being instrumental in the establishment of the Austin Area Urban League in 1977 and in numerous ventures with the Austin Independent School District to assist African American students.
