Historical Marker
Simmons Hill Baptist Church
Historical marker location:
4213 CR 4503, Harleton, Texas
( From Diana (Upshur Co.), go east on Hwy 154, turn left on CR 4501 (Davidson Road), then turn left on CR 4503 (Simmons Road); Simmons Hill Baptist Church is located 1.6 miles on the right; physical address has Diana ZIP code)
Marker installed: 2011
This church traces its origins to the 1850s at a site near the Upshur County line, which gave the church its first name of County Line Baptist Church. Minutes from an 1869 meeting of the Soda Lake Association show that Pastor W. W. Lee was leading 58 members. The church joined the Liberty Baptist Association in 1902. About 1915, the church began meeting in the Simmons School House. After the school consolidated with Harleton in 1939, William Hartwell Simmons, in 1941, deeded the property to the B. M. A. Baptist church of Simmons community. The congregation remodeled the schoolhouse and changed names to Simmons Hill Baptist Church in 1944. The church, which built a new sanctuary in 1996, continues to serve as a beacon of light in the area.