Hallettsvillebr/ Lavaca County, Texasbr/ 29 26.647' N 96 56.318' Wbr/ Directions: Start at the intersection of Dowling Street and 4th Street. The church is on the southwest corner of the intersection. 206 South Dowling Street.br/ br/ Text: Methodist circuit riders under the stewardship of John W. DeVilbiss and Henderson D. Palmer served this area as early as 1842. This congregation traces its origin to a Methodist society established by eleven charter members in 1851. Early services were held in various locations, including brush arbors, homes of prominent area settlers, a schoolhouse, courthouse, and the ground floor of the local Masonic Lodge Hall. The congregation was closely associated with other Methodist churches in Lavaca County, most notably those established in the communities of Shiner and Mossy Grove. The congregation met in the Lodge Hall from 1858 until 1891 when their first sanctuary was completed. A Sunday School, choir, and a women's aid society were organized and over the years the congregation added a parsonage and an educational facility. A new sanctuary was built here in 1953. The congregation, which has generally contained more than 200 members since the early 1900s, has included among its membership a number of the community's most prominent citizens. First United Methodist Church of Hallettsville continues to serve the community with a variety of programs and activities.