163-year-old Marshall church begins rebuild after fire

MARSHALL, Texas (KLTV) - A fire in 2024 attempted to wipe out over 160 years of history, but the congregation it belonged to didn’t even miss a single church service.

Jumping into action, they’ve been working to restore the historical significance while adapting to modern needs such as accessibility, lighting and technology.

And tonight — they’re breaking ground on a project two years in the making.

“212 pages... just this set of plans weighs forty pounds,” Congregation member and building planner Ed Perkins said.

A congregation rises from the ashes.

“This has been quite a project. A lot of moving parts,” Perkins said.

“This church is a vital part of the community. It’s been a struggle, there’s been a lot of grief with the loss of the church. But now there’s a lot of excitement because we’re building it back,” Perkins said.

When First Methodist Church caught Marshall fire in December of 2024, many wondered how the 163-year-old church could live on.

“Everybody wanted the historic look. Everybody wanted to stay downtown because that’s where it’s always been,” Perkins said.

And it will.

Plans by lifelong congregation member Perkins and a building planning team will restore the church’s historic significance and adapt to modern needs.

“It was actually a command from the congregation. We took a survey. This is a combination of hundreds of people giving their input,” Perkins said.

The vote decided on bringing back the traditional pews and stained glass windows, but will also have new technology such as charging stations and video walls.

Expanded classrooms in the day school will allow for an increase of as many as forty students.

“One of the things that is near and dear to our hearts is the preservation of history,” Reverend Dr. Troy Conrad said.

Conrad said the church has stood as a beacon for generations.

“People were baptized, married, went to Sunday school, worshipped and then were buried in that church. What this church is going to be like 100 years from now...We are all about perseverance. We have gone through the fire and come out on the other side,” Conrad said.

And when it comes to what’s next?

“We’re coming back!” Conrad said.

The entire project is expected to cost around $20 million.

The building itself will run about $16 - 18 million, according to Reverend Conrad.

The groundbreaking for the project was Wednesday evening, Perkins hopes the project will be finished by 2027.