Historical markers are a significant ornament for buildings and entities around the great state of Texas. People plan entire vacations around seeing as many markers as possible.

Our historical marker was placed in 1983 at the downtown location before the church moved in 2009, but Ron Culp saw that an important part of history was about to be tossed aside and took action.

As the era at the downtown location came to a close, Ron said he would go by every day to pour water around the base of the sign and free up the soil. He then eventually dug the sign out of its former home and brought it down south to where it currently resides outside our office on the north side of the building.

Our marker reads:

This fellowship was established in 1873 as the Baptist Church of Christ at Palo Alto. In 1883, one year after Killeen was founded on the rail line, the congregation moved three miles southwest to the new town. The Rev. Thomas H. Bacon served as first pastor of the Missionary Baptist Church of Killeen, as it was renamed. The large influx of people who came to the area during the building of Ft. Hood in 1942 resulted in a great increase in membership. Through its active mission work, First Baptist Church of Killeen has led in the formation of several area congregations. (1983)

Click here to see our official Texas Historical Marker listing.