Efforts to restore 125-year-old Black church in Willis continue as members look to the future
The Courier of Montgomery County
February 6, 2024
by Sondra Hernandez, staff writer
February 6, 2024
by Sondra Hernandez, staff writer
As restorations continue at Willis' Thomas Chapel United Methodist Church, Cynthia Stubblefield Walker can't help but want to touch the same 125-year-old sturdy wood beams that her ancestors touched. Her family line goes back generations at the church, and she attended church in the building as a girl.
The congregation was organized in 1867 by former slaves from area plantations and the congregation of about 20 continues to meet for services on occasion in the church at Waverly and Holland streets near downtown Willis. The structure was built in 1899 and a fellowship area was added in 1952. "That was our church growing up. It was old fashioned and that's what I liked about it," Walker said. "The beams in the bell tower, those are 40-foot-long columns. You know those beams would have come from local wood and to think that there were trees like that then. One of those builders touched this spot and I want to touch this spot too. I want to touch what they touched."
Preservation efforts
Now as a trustee for the church and a member of the Montgomery County History Task Force, she, and other church trustees such as Carrie Hamilton, Ernestine Luke, her cousin, Lorenzo Westmoreland and volunteers from the task force have spent since 2021 trying to preserve the historic structure and the legacy of the congregation.
Task force members have coordinated foundation leveling, gas and water line repair and mending of the 25-year-old roof. More recently, windows at the back of the structure were replaced by Willis pastor and carpenter Rev. Orbra Toliver and in the last few weeks, the front façade of the building received new wood and was repainted.
Church history
When the Thomas Chapel building was being constructed, a cornerstone was laid and includes the builders P. Culpepper, J. Blain, and R. Jones, Builder. The trustees of the church at that time were N. Lewis, N. Woodson, and L. Culpepper. The pastor at the time the church was built was Edward Lee.
Walker and Westmoreland are related to the Culpepper line. Warren Culpepper was born in Texas in 1859 and worked in slavery at the Greenwood Plantation at Danville until he was freed. With such strong ties to the church, Walker is passionate about its preservation and its future.
Ann Meador, chairman of the Montgomery County History Task Force, has helped lead the preservation project which included meticulous details about how the structure must be restored.
Both Meador and Walker believe the 1899 church was built by men of the church who had a connection to the sawmills and often the resourceful congregation used what they could find as far as windows and materials.
Repairing water damage
Because of the leaking roof, rainwater would run down the front of the church building. Meador said the water damage to the front dated back at least 20 years and the wood was in desperate need of replacement.
Replacing the façade too had to be carried out in a certain fashion with guidance from the Texas Historical Commission. The boards replaced are pine. "It's a 125-year-old church so that was the siding that was popular 125 years ago and if you look around in some older towns you'll see this type of siding with a special cut," Meador said. "You used to be able to buy that at the hardware store but it's not made anymore. They don't carry it anymore. Only one place in this part of the country makes it and it's a special planing company Lucas Cedar." The company is in Willis.
Future of church and Willis
Meador said that time is of the essence for the structure and the congregation.
Her urgency is not only upkeep for the structure, but possible development in the heart of Willis which could bring changes and development to the neighborhood as close as right across the street.
In February 2023, Willis city officials discussed an ordinance that would allow multiple single-family homes to be built in the downtown area. "If their vision holds up that could bring a change in the population in this area and we want this building to continue to be here. It's been here (since people were enslaved in the area) and we want to be sure that it stays here," she said. "The trustees are adamant that they're not doing anything to this church. It's staying right here and they want to be here to serve whoever lives here in the future."
Willis is experiencing growth with several new subdivisions in the works. More than 800 new Willis residents are expected by the end of 2024.
The future of the church troubles Walker too and she believes they must engage in the community and be involved with Willis' young people and families to reinvigorate the church. She wants to know, when a young person graduates from Willis High School, what jobs are there in the Willis area to make it feasible for them to stay in Willis and continue to grow the church. She points to the example of her father and uncles who grew up in Willis but moved away to take manufacturing jobs.
What's next
She would like to see the city of Willis and Montgomery County become engaged in the project. "My wish and prayer for Montgomery County and the city of Willis in particular is that the entire community continues to recognize the importance of our past which includes those historic institutions like Thomas Chapel and others and we build and progress for the city and county," Walker said. "Our past, and so much has been lost, it is the foundation for our future, and we must protect it."
The trustees are currently searching for a lay minister to preside over the church following the retirement of the former pastor. Walker said they are looking for someone who can be out in the Willis community.
Next up, repairs are needed in the bell tower. Two of the 40-foot beams have experienced rot from years of water damage. Fixing them will be Meador's next puzzle before the façade project is complete and the boards can be replaced on the bell tower as well.
Inside the tower, the bell purchased in 1901 remains. The metal cradle around the bell is intact but the wooden frame that holds it steady has rotted. It will be necessary to raise the 500-pound bell and rebuild the cradle and repair the floor beneath it, Meador said.
To donate to the church's restoration, see the Thomas Chapel United Methodist Church GoFundMe page. For more information and to follow the progress, visit the church's Facebook page.
Feb 6, 2024
By Sondra Hernandez
The congregation was organized in 1867 by former slaves from area plantations and the congregation of about 20 continues to meet for services on occasion in the church at Waverly and Holland streets near downtown Willis. The structure was built in 1899 and a fellowship area was added in 1952. "That was our church growing up. It was old fashioned and that's what I liked about it," Walker said. "The beams in the bell tower, those are 40-foot-long columns. You know those beams would have come from local wood and to think that there were trees like that then. One of those builders touched this spot and I want to touch this spot too. I want to touch what they touched."
Preservation efforts
Now as a trustee for the church and a member of the Montgomery County History Task Force, she, and other church trustees such as Carrie Hamilton, Ernestine Luke, her cousin, Lorenzo Westmoreland and volunteers from the task force have spent since 2021 trying to preserve the historic structure and the legacy of the congregation.
Task force members have coordinated foundation leveling, gas and water line repair and mending of the 25-year-old roof. More recently, windows at the back of the structure were replaced by Willis pastor and carpenter Rev. Orbra Toliver and in the last few weeks, the front façade of the building received new wood and was repainted.
Church history
When the Thomas Chapel building was being constructed, a cornerstone was laid and includes the builders P. Culpepper, J. Blain, and R. Jones, Builder. The trustees of the church at that time were N. Lewis, N. Woodson, and L. Culpepper. The pastor at the time the church was built was Edward Lee.
Walker and Westmoreland are related to the Culpepper line. Warren Culpepper was born in Texas in 1859 and worked in slavery at the Greenwood Plantation at Danville until he was freed. With such strong ties to the church, Walker is passionate about its preservation and its future.
Ann Meador, chairman of the Montgomery County History Task Force, has helped lead the preservation project which included meticulous details about how the structure must be restored.
Both Meador and Walker believe the 1899 church was built by men of the church who had a connection to the sawmills and often the resourceful congregation used what they could find as far as windows and materials.
Repairing water damage
Because of the leaking roof, rainwater would run down the front of the church building. Meador said the water damage to the front dated back at least 20 years and the wood was in desperate need of replacement.
Replacing the façade too had to be carried out in a certain fashion with guidance from the Texas Historical Commission. The boards replaced are pine. "It's a 125-year-old church so that was the siding that was popular 125 years ago and if you look around in some older towns you'll see this type of siding with a special cut," Meador said. "You used to be able to buy that at the hardware store but it's not made anymore. They don't carry it anymore. Only one place in this part of the country makes it and it's a special planing company Lucas Cedar." The company is in Willis.
Future of church and Willis
Meador said that time is of the essence for the structure and the congregation.
Her urgency is not only upkeep for the structure, but possible development in the heart of Willis which could bring changes and development to the neighborhood as close as right across the street.
In February 2023, Willis city officials discussed an ordinance that would allow multiple single-family homes to be built in the downtown area. "If their vision holds up that could bring a change in the population in this area and we want this building to continue to be here. It's been here (since people were enslaved in the area) and we want to be sure that it stays here," she said. "The trustees are adamant that they're not doing anything to this church. It's staying right here and they want to be here to serve whoever lives here in the future."
Willis is experiencing growth with several new subdivisions in the works. More than 800 new Willis residents are expected by the end of 2024.
The future of the church troubles Walker too and she believes they must engage in the community and be involved with Willis' young people and families to reinvigorate the church. She wants to know, when a young person graduates from Willis High School, what jobs are there in the Willis area to make it feasible for them to stay in Willis and continue to grow the church. She points to the example of her father and uncles who grew up in Willis but moved away to take manufacturing jobs.
What's next
She would like to see the city of Willis and Montgomery County become engaged in the project. "My wish and prayer for Montgomery County and the city of Willis in particular is that the entire community continues to recognize the importance of our past which includes those historic institutions like Thomas Chapel and others and we build and progress for the city and county," Walker said. "Our past, and so much has been lost, it is the foundation for our future, and we must protect it."
The trustees are currently searching for a lay minister to preside over the church following the retirement of the former pastor. Walker said they are looking for someone who can be out in the Willis community.
Next up, repairs are needed in the bell tower. Two of the 40-foot beams have experienced rot from years of water damage. Fixing them will be Meador's next puzzle before the façade project is complete and the boards can be replaced on the bell tower as well.
Inside the tower, the bell purchased in 1901 remains. The metal cradle around the bell is intact but the wooden frame that holds it steady has rotted. It will be necessary to raise the 500-pound bell and rebuild the cradle and repair the floor beneath it, Meador said.
To donate to the church's restoration, see the Thomas Chapel United Methodist Church GoFundMe page. For more information and to follow the progress, visit the church's Facebook page.
Feb 6, 2024
By Sondra Hernandez
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