Collegeport

Year Marker Erected: 1999
Location: 4th St. and Ave. I, Collegeport

Marker Text:
The town of Collegeport, on Tres Palacios Bay in Matagorda County, was planned by the Burton D. Hurd Land Company as a promotional scheme for selling the lands of J. E. and A. B. Pierce. The company provided land for a townsite and the creation of the Gulf Coast University of Industrial Arts. In November of 1909 community leaders joined together at the University's chapel to discuss the creation of Collegeport Federated Church. Representing fourteen denominations, the congregation's early mission was to unify the community and support a common church for all citizens. Murray A. Travis was called as the first pastor of the church. Pastor Travis had moved to Collegeport in 1909 from Canada to join his brother William H. Travis, and help with the development of university programs as dean. In addition to his university duties, Pastor travis also ran the COLLEGEPORT CHRONICLE, one of the area's first newspapers. In 1910 the congregation began work on their first sanctuary building at an estimated cost of $2,000. The five-room building was opened for services on November 27, 1910. Among the charter members who signed the first register were persons of Baptist, Methodist, Union, Universal, and Presbyterian backgrounds. For many years the church doubled as a schoolhouse and community center. In 1922 the congregation unanimously passed a resolution to join the Presbyterian church, U.S.A., and became the First Presbyterian Church of Collegeport. The congregation continued to use the 1910 sanctuary until 1955 when new facilities were built using materials and furnishings from the original church. (1999)