By: Debra Blacklock-Sloan
Boynton Chapel Methodist Church and the Harris County Historical Commission will unveil a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark Marker for the congregation’s building on Sunday, May 18, 2025, at 12:00 p.m. The church is located at 2812 Milby Street, 77004.
Recorded Texas Historic Landmarks (RTHL) are properties judged to be historically and architecturally significant. The Texas Historical Commission (THC) awards RTHL designation to buildings at least 50 years old that are worthy of preservation for their architectural and historical associations We hope you can cover this historical event!
Brief History of Boynton Chapel Methodist Church
Boynton Chapel Methodist Church the church’s history notes that it was organized by eight founding members in 1880. The African-American congregation quickly grew and, in August 1885, the Dallas Street Methodist Episcopal Church, by now part of the Texas Conference, purchased property at Dallas and Paige Streets. The first recorded pastor was Peter Bush in 1886. The church was renamed Boynton Chapel Methodist Church by 1889, and membership grew to 300 by 1915. An expansion and addition to the 1887 church was designed under Rev. Jesse W. Gilder in 1916 and completed under Rev. S.W. Johnson in 1922. The church purchased an adjacent lot to enlarge the building and establish a community center, featuring a gymnasium, roof garden, reading room, classroom, playground and pool. This pool was the only such Houston facility open to African Americans from 1926 to 1939. The community center later added a nursery school.
Under the leadership of Rev. Homer D. Pace, the church purchased property at 2812 Milby Street in 1955 for a new building. John S. Chase (1925-2012), Texas’ first licensed African-American architect, designed the building early in his career. Local artist Carroll Harris Simms (1924-2010) created the lead art glass at the entry. The new building was dedicated on January 5, 1958. Chase’s Mid-Century Modern design emphasizes the horizontal plane and natural lighting. Distinguishing features include the flying gables and low bell tower, stained glass window walls in the sanctuary and cruciform shapes outlined in pink marble on the east and south elevations. In its new location, the church continued to serve the Third Ward community. Noted church members included community leaders such as Christia Adair (1893-1989), Madgelean “Mama” Bush (1931-2010) and Dr. Forde McWilliams (1926-2001). For more than 100 years, Boynton Chapel has been a staple of Houston’s Third Ward.
