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Mother Zion
Missionary Baptist Church 2709 Avenue B
28°58'34.34"N
95°58'27.35"W |
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In 1906, the group elected Rev. Basil Tolson for their first pastor and named their church group the Mother Zion Missionary Baptist Church and laid out plans to buy land and build a larger house of worship. December 27, 1906, they purchased land in the original townsite of Bay City. This plot of ground was sold to Mother Zion Missionary Baptist Church by G. M. Magill Et. Al: the said G. M. Magill for himself and for the consideration of $50.00 paid by Trustees of Mother Zion Missionary Baptist Church. All that certain piece of land known and described as: Lot #4, Block #29, fronting 50 feet on Avenue B and running back between parallel lines 140 ft. to a 20 ft. alley. On February 20, 1907 the trustees of Mother Zion Missionary Baptist Church signed a Deed of Trust with Alamo Lumber Company, for building material to erect a frame church house on their land. The building was complete June 19, 1907 when Rev. Basil Tolson held the first services in the new building. A terrible hurricane destroyed the church, July 21, 1909. The destruction caused the group (with Rev. H. C. Cashaw), to go again into an all out building project and again they borrowed money to rebuild. The debt was secured by trustees Alex Riley, Aaron Martin, Jim Wilson and George Edison, which was paid in full by May 24, 1921. This building faced the west on Avenue B. It had a bell tower on the left front section of the roof. This remained the basic pattern of Mother Zion Missionary Baptist Church for many years. The interior of this building was changed several times, but the exterior walls remained the same. The church went back into debt when they bought lot #5 in Block #29, May 24, 1921 from A. J. Jones. This lot of land was next to Mother Zion Missionary Baptist Church.
In 1949, the congregation along with pastor Rev. C. H. Brown, Sr., decided that they needed a brick building to shelter them. So they went to work preparing for the new church house. On March 30, 1950, the Groundbreaking Ceremony was held. On March 31, 1950, the construction of the brick building was begun by Joe Birkner and Sons, Contractors of Bay City, Texas. On the 5th Sunday in July, 1950, the entrance service of the church was held in the new brick sanctuary. On the Second Sunday in August, 1950, the cornerstone was laid. The church was changed from a frame structure to the present brick sanctuary with its matching Education Building designed and attached to the south east side of the main edifice. The congregation finished paying for the new church on September 28, 1952, exactly 7 years and 11 months before the maturity of the note. On December 7, 1952, the Dedication service of Mother Zion Missionary Baptist Church with the Education Building was held. A Note-burning ceremony was conducted by the Trustees, Deacons, and Pastor.
The last addition to the
church was October 26, 1979 for $45,000.00 and the note was fully
paid March 21, 1983. The addition was for the Community Outreach
Center for the Economic Action Committee, consisting of 2,415 feet
of space. |
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In 1929, under the
leadership of Rev. C. H. Brown, Sr., the building was again
remodeled and enlarged. At this time the church was constructed with
a tower on each side of the front section of the roof. Better
windows, and more space (80x100 ft), were included in the frame
structure. The exterior walls were covered with imitation brick
siding. The construction job was done by A. J. Henderson, a
carpenter from Kendleton, Texas. The imitation brick siding on the
north side had been badly scorched by lightning and the tower on the
right had been partially ripped off by the storm. The building
served the congregation during the 1930's and into the latter part
of the 1940's.
