Texas Baptist museum to be remodeled

Posted: 9/07/07

Texas Baptist museum to be remodeled

By John Hall

Texas Baptist Communications

INDEPENDENCE—The Texas Baptist Historical Museum is set to be remodeled and expanded.

Designs are being drawn for a reworked museum that leaders hope will open in 2008 and include more exhibit space, a theatre and a patio area. Alan Lefever, director of the Texas Baptist Historical Collection, said the improvements are meant to help visitors quickly understand Texas Baptist history.

“It really tells the story of the beginnings of Texas Baptists and for that matter, Baptists,” Lefever said. “It makes people familiar with our early heritage as Texas Baptists and what that means.”

The expansion is possible because Independence Baptist Church, which shared space with the museum, has grown during recent years and has built another building on adjacent property.

About 10,000 people visit the museum each year—particularly in the spring when wildflowers native to the area are in bloom.

Independence Baptist Church was founded before Texas became a state and is the oldest surviving Baptist church in Texas.

Sam Houston, who led Texas’ fight for independence and later served as the Republic of Texas’ first president, was baptized into the membership of Independence Baptist Church by Pastor Rufus Burleson. A pew where Houston carved his name is on display in the museum. The renovated museum will feature an expanded exhibit about Houston’s time in Independence.

Independence also is the original location of Baylor University, which later relocated to Waco, and Baylor College, which relocated to Belton and was renamed the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor.

Baptist General Convention of Texas leaders have raised more than $300,000 of the $750,000 needed to refurbish the museum. Individuals can make donations to the effort or purchase bricks or paving stones for the campus. For more information about the project or to donate to the effort, call Lefever at (888) 244-9400.