Milam County Historical Commission
Milam County, Texas
Milam County, Texas
First Baptist Church
First Baptist Church of Rockdale
The community of Rockdale sprang up around a railroad camp in 1873. The Rev. B. B. Baxter arrived in 1874 and established a Baptist Church with 18 Charter Members. The Rev. Mr. Baxter conducted services in a room above a Dry Goods store shared with other denominations. He was succeeded by the Rev. Vandevere, one of the 18 Charter Members, in 1876. At the urging of Revival leader W. E. Penn and the Rev. Dr. J. M. Stripling, a simple structure was erected for worship services in 1881. A new building was erected on this site in 1919. The Church grew steadily; a Latin American Mission established in the 1950s, became a Full Southern Baptist Church in 1966. A new First Baptist Church complex was built in 1972. The Congregation remains active in community service and Missionary work.
The community of Rockdale sprang up around a railroad camp in 1873. The Rev. B. B. Baxter arrived in 1874 and established a Baptist Church with 18 Charter Members. The Rev. Mr. Baxter conducted services in a room above a Dry Goods store shared with other denominations. He was succeeded by the Rev. Vandevere, one of the 18 Charter Members, in 1876. At the urging of Revival leader W. E. Penn and the Rev. Dr. J. M. Stripling, a simple structure was erected for worship services in 1881. A new building was erected on this site in 1919. The Church grew steadily; a Latin American Mission established in the 1950s, became a Full Southern Baptist Church in 1966. A new First Baptist Church complex was built in 1972. The Congregation remains active in community service and Missionary work.
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240 Green Street
Rockdale, TX 76567
Rockdale, TX 76567
Erected 1999
