First Methodist Church of Plano
Historical marker location:According to oral history sources, this congregation traces its history to 1846 or 1847, when a group of thirteen people met together in the home of Peters' colonists Joseph and Elizabeth Russell to organize a Methodist church. The group was assisted by James A. Smith, a local preacher living near Dallas. They continued to meet at the Russell home until the 1850s, when they moved to a schoolhouse ion upper Spring Creek northwest of the original Plano townsite. Plano was incorporated in 1873, one year after the Houston & Texas Central Railroad built a line through the area. The Methodists moved to the new town in 1874. The congregation became a full station of the Methodist Church in 1888, with the Rev. D.J. Martin as first full-time pastor. They bought land at present 16th and K Streets in 1894 and completed a new building in 1895. It served the members until 1968 when a larger facility was built at this site. Throughout its history, the First Methodist Church of Plano has served the community with a variety of worship, educational, and outreach programs. It maintains a strong record of support to both domestic and foreign missionary endeavors. (1992) Supplemental Plate:
In 2002 the First United Methodist Church moved to a new location at 3160 East Spring Creek Parkway for more visibility and congregational growth.