Wesley United Methodist Church
historic place
Wesley United Methodist Church in Austin, Travis County, is a historic place. This congregation was established for freedmen of the Austin area at the end of the Civil War. It began through the efforts of the Reverend Joseph Welch, a white Methodist missionary, and the Reverend Isaac Wright, a black minister. Many early members had attended the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, as slaves. The first building, a stone sanctuary with a dirt floor, was built in 1867 at Ninth and Neches Streets. A new building, known as "Old Wesley on the Hill," was constructed in 1882. The church moved to its current facilities in 1929. This congregation has actively participated in community projects, mission work, and educational leadership. Its facilities were used for classes of Samuel Huston College and for the formal organization of the West Texas Methodist Conference. A historical marker was erected in 1982. The church was also recognized by the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. This site reflects a significant part of Austin's post-Civil War history and the development of the African American community.