[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 118 (Tuesday, September 20, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1891-E1892]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   ON THE 150TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FOUNDING OF FIRST CHRISTIAN CHURCH

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. KAY GRANGER

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 20, 2005

  Ms. GRANGER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize an outstanding 
church in my district, First Christian Church, located in the great 
city of Fort Worth, Texas. On Sunday, October 2, 2005, First Christian 
Church celebrates the 150th anniversary of its organization which began 
in 1855 in the home of Dr. and Carroll Peak.
  The First Christian Church holds the distinction of being Fort 
Worth's oldest continuously operating church, forming just 6 years 
after Major Ripley Arnold brought a unit of the U.S. Army to a cliff 
overlooking the Trinity River to establish a military outpost in 1849 
that he named in honor of his commanding general. Today, First 
Christian Church continues as a vibrant, engaged church located in the 
heart of downtown Fort Worth, one of the great downtowns in America. 
Appropriately, the church's theme for its 150th anniversary celebration 
is ``From the Frontier to the Future,''
  The First Christian Church and its members have served the Fort Worth 
community well

[[Page E1892]]

over the last 150 years. In 1865, Rev. J.A. Clark founded Add-Ran Male 
and Female College in the First Christian Church, but moved the 
institution for a time to a more sedate location south of Fort Worth 
known as Thorp Springs. Add-Ran College today is one of Fort Worth's 
most prestigious universities, Texas Christian University (TCU). TCU 
has been in Fort Worth since 1911. In 1878, First Christian built a 
``rock church'' on a site at 612 Throckmorton Street. The property was 
purchased for $1,500. First Christian Church continues at that site 
today in a sanctuary that was erected in 1914 to replace the rock 
church. The Renaissance Revival style church, designed by architects 
E.W. Van Slyke and Clyde Woodruff, was designated an official Texas 
Historical Landmark in 1970 and was placed on the National Register of 
Historical Sites in 1983.
  First Christian Church has been blessed.
  One of First Christian's early members and president of its board for 
53 years, K. M. Van Zandt also was instrumental in transforming Fort 
Worth from a small, former military outpost into one of the major 
cities of Texas and the United States. Van Zandt, while serving his 
church, helped other Christian churches form in Fort Worth and provided 
leadership for construction of the present sanctuary. At the same time, 
he formed with other Fort Worth business leaders a construction company 
that brought the railroad to the city, co-created and led a bank that 
was the town's leading financial institution for almost a century and 
co-founded the community's first newspaper, as well as making time to 
serve on the local school board and in the Texas Legislature.
  In 1912, Dr. L.D. Anderson became pastor. During Dr. Anderson's 49-
year ministry, First Christian Church thrived with membership reaching 
3,000. First Christian's historic church was restored and updated in 
the course of a seven-year renovation project that was completed in 
1993.
  Not only has First Christian Church withstood the test of time as a 
Fort Worth institution, it also has endured Mother Nature. First 
Christian is in the heart of the Downtown Fort Worth area that was 
struck by a devastating tornado in 2000. While neighboring buildings 
suffered extensive destruction, First Christian escaped with damage 
only to the rear of its sanctuary and the church dome. The dome had 
been restored only a few years earlier. Through hard work and 
dedication, the sanctuary and dome were again restored by 2001, while 
the church continued to service its members and to give strength to the 
community in trying times.
  Mr. Speaker, it is my honor to recognize First Christian Church as a 
church that began in the early days of Fort Worth and that, like the 
city which it calls home, has grown and evolved into a great 
institution. It is my honor to praise the past and the present 
leadership of this outstanding and companionate institution for serving 
their members well and for their role in making Fort Worth a truly 
great place in which not only to live, but also to work.

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