This article and picture are courtesy of Warren Jennings.
The formal organization of the Christian Church in Palestine as listed in the early records of the church was in 1839. Elder William Tichenor completed the formal organization early in 1840. The circuit riding preachers, the first believed to be Brother Trimble, who came to this area from Ohio and had, according to tradition, been a friend of the Beecher family, who also were from Ohio.
A church building was built at what is now the corner of Main and Franklin Street, and a congregation met there until 1855 when the building burned down. For several years the congregation met in the old court house, which had been abandoned when the county seat was moved to Robinson.
A new brick building was built in 1874 on East Grand Prairie Street. It was used for over 40 years, as it looks in the picture.
The congregation of the church was growing in numbers so rapidly that their building was out grown before a new one could be built.
The ground for a new church was purchased from John Leaverton in 1914. The corner stone for the new church was laid in June 1916 and the building was completed in October. The church looks much today as it did in 1916.