Historic Coryell County church begins a facelift

The historic Eagle Springs Baptist Church recently began the early stages of a facelift. The church building, constructed in 1878, has been moved twice over the last 20 years and is constantly in need of repairs.

Recently, the church building was levelled by Waco Foundation Repair after funds were raised. The “leaning church” is located in the southeastern part of Coryell County a few miles from Mother Neff State Park. The small frame building was the boyhood church home of Governor Pat M. Neff. It was the off branch of an earlier church, the Onion Creek Baptist Church, which was founded in 1858. When visiting the church, it remains much like it was at the turn of the century. The pews, pulpit, a kerosene lamp, and pulpit chairs are original to the building. When visitors leave the church, they often comment that it was like a building from “Little House on the Prairie.”

The president of the Historic Eagle Springs Baptist Church Association, Martha Deeringer, recently commented on the leveling of the building, “You could almost hear the old building sigh with relief when David Maddox and his expert team at Waco Foundation Repair finished putting new concrete pillars under the sagging west side of the building. Since its last move to its current location in 2007, the old building has settled, its original limestone block foundation has shifted beneath the hand-hewn beams that support it.”

The two-door structure, fast approaching 145 years old, is “allowed a few complaints of aging,” Deeringer said. The association that cares for the building has more plans for its future. Upcoming needs include having rotten wood replaced and a new coat of paint which will require much more fundraising in the upcoming months.

“We are so thankful for all the past donations that have allowed us to come thus far. It’s such an unusual church, one of the last of its kind in Texas, and we hope to keep it around so future generations can see how their ancestors worshipped when Coryell County was settled by the early pioneers,” Deeringer said.