Melissa, TX, United States
Saint Paul Baptist Church. One of Collin county's oldest black congregations, this church was organized in 1872 by the Rev. Jeff Shirley of Kentucky. Members worshiped beneath a brush arbor before constructing their first church building in 1885 on land purchased from T.E. Shirley. Three years later
, Shirley sold them acreage adjacent to Melissa Cemetery for a church burial ground. After the original sanctuary was destroyed by a tornado on April 13, 1921, a new frame building was erected. For ov
Listen to the audio guide for Black plaque № 18678 Free on WIP — starts by itself when you arrive, even with the screen off