New Hope Baptist Church’s long legacy

New Hope Baptist Church’s long legacy

Written by Jim Dawson Tuesday, 07 November 2006

While there is some evidence that a church existed as far back as 1848 when Williamson County was organized, written record shows New Hope’s beginning date as October 22, 1868. More than a century before the founding of the city of Cedar Park, a small group with a large vision organized this church and began meeting in the home of James M. Trammell and his wife, Elizabeth, pioneers of the Blockhouse community. Six charter members formed the New Hope Missionary Baptist Church of Christ with the Rev. Thomas F. Bacon chosen to serve as the first pastor.

In 1869, the church began cooperating with the Southern Baptist Convention and the Austin Baptist Association. The church cemetery was first used this year for the burial of Martha Elizabeth Inman, wife of deacon S.C. Inman. Other marked grave sites include those settlers who were prominent early leaders of the church and community.

In 1870, a log church was built one and one-quarter miles from the present location and three miles south of Bagdad on the old Austin to Burnet road. The two-acre piece of land was part of the Trammell property. In 1871, the church voted to rent the building to the State of Texas for use as a schoolhouse.

The church constructed a new frame building at today’s site in 1879, and the old church building was sold for $30. The new location was chosen on a slight hill in order to view any encroachment from Indians.

New Hope organized its first Sunday School in 1890, and in 1897 built a brush arbor for summer revival services.

A parsonage was constructed in 1948 that is now used for educational purposes and is known as the “Rock House.”

The red brick sanctuary was built in 1966.

For over a century the New Hope First Baptist Church has been instrumental in the development of the Cedar Park area.

Pastors have included such leading Baptist ministers as missionary J.E. Hamilton, who died in Brazil of yellow fever, and the Rev. D.E. Simpson, board member and first treasurer of the Texas Baptist Children’s Home, who was baptized and ordained in New Hope.

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