Wesley United Methodist Church
a.k.a. Site #19;Wesley Methodist Church
1164 San Bernard St., Austin, TXAt the time of its construction in 1929, Wesley United Methodist Church was one of the largest Negro churches in Texas. The congregation was established in Austin at the end of the Civil War and first held services in the basement of the Tenth Street Methodist Episcopal Church, South. The first church actually built by the congregation was a stone sanctuary located at 9th and Neches streets which served until 1882, when a new building was constructed at the same location. In 1929, the congregation moved to the present location at San Bernard Street where Church members have continued their tradition of active participation in community projects, mission work, and educational leadership. Church facilities have been used for classes conducted by Samuel Huston College and for the formal organization of the West Texas Methodist Conference.
Local significance of the building:Listed in National Register of Historic Places in 1985.
The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the Nation’s historic places worthy of preservation. Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America’s historic and archeological resources.