A non-profit organization is hoping to restore the former Pine Grove Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Henderson, Texas.
The Pine Grove church joined the Texas Presbytery in 1849. They constructed a log building in 1850, which was replaced by the current structure in 1870 – it was dedicated at the December 1870 meeting of the presbytery. The building is now the oldest remaining church structure in Rusk County. The congregation disbanded in 1906. It had been a sizable congregation but multiple other churches branched off and in the end they ended up being quite small at the beginning of the 20th century. Since that time it has continued to be used for Sacred Harp singing and for the cemetery homecoming, and other occasions through the years. Among the early founders of the church are some notable individuals. A Texas A&M president was raised in the church, his father being an elder. Richard Brown who survived the Mier Expedition and Perote Prison settled here and came to the early church with his wife. The mother of an Alamo defender received his land grants and settled there in the community, attending the church. Descendants kept it up for many years but there has never been any money collected or set aside to deal with major repairs. We are currently raising funds for some repairs – including a new roof – and will hopefully be able to set some aside for long term care.
Contact: Charity Vaughn cevaughn_75681@yahoo.com
