About
Meetinghouse Revival formed in 2021 as a direct action to save Wesley Chapel CME church. However, we have learned that we can preserve a building but ultimately it takes a community to revive it. Nothing pulls people together better than good storytelling. While preserving Wesley Chapel remains a critical part of our mission, we have since expanded our efforts to more broadly safeguard Corsicana’s Black history by collecting and sharing these dynamic stories with the larger community.
History
1886
Corsicana’s Colored Methodist Episcopal Church exists at 917 E. 5th Street across from the Frederick Douglass segregated high school. At some point the building is destroyed.
1916
The congregation rebuilds their church with the help of First Methodist and Lt. Gov. George Jester. On June 10, 1916, the congregation conducts its first services in its new building, Wesley Chapel.
1947
The CME congregation is a thriving church with a strong missional element. Mary Peterson, a member of the church opens a daycare in June of this year for working mothers inside Wesley Chapel. Mary Peterson’s nursery is Corsicana’s first Black daycare. It continues to serve our community to this day.
2015
The CME congregation eventually dissolves. The building is sold to a small family church run by J.D. Morgan and the Barton family. It appears a fire causes the congregation to relocate and Wesley Chapel sits vacant for the next six years. After 99 years of service, trees begin growing out of the building’s foundation and vultures settle into the rafters.
2021
The city slates Wesley Chapel for sale or demolition. Local community members approach the city about ways to save the church. Corsicana Preservation Foundation boards up the windows to protect them from the elements. On September 12, 2021 the project to save Wesley Chapel incorporates with the state as Meetinghouse Revival.
2022
Meetinghouse Revival applies for and receives a Rural African American Heritage Grant from Preservation Texas for $75,000 in order to restore Wesley Chapel for community reuse. Corsicana Preservation Foundation purchases the church at auction on behalf of Meetinghouse Revival.
2023
Corsicana Preservation Foundation raises $35,000 for the Wesley Chapel project at Corsicana’s 175th Gala Auction. On June 10, 2023, the 107th anniversary of the building’s opening, Meetinghouse Revival becomes a nonprofit. We complete architectural plans for the chapel’s renovation and building transfers to Meetinghouse Revival.
2024
Meetinghouse Revival applies for Wesley Chapel’s admission to the National Register of Historic Places. Restoration plans receive state approval and work will begin this fall. Meetinghouse Revival preserves the stories and history of Black Corsicana. Our goal is to interrupt the loss of culture, story, and community.