With the end of the Civil War came a federally sponsored organization known as the Freedman’s Bureau. This entity was heavily staffed with persons of African descent, many of whom were members of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. This Freedman’s Bureau came to what is now Hays County, Texas in late 1865. Initially, Freemen’s Bureau staff held meetings in the homes of ex-slaves, and taught them the basic skills needed to interact responsibly in a free society.
Constructed in 1883, the original Wesley Chapel housed a freedmen’s school operated by the church. Today, the Wesley Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church is home to San Marcos’s oldest known African American congregation. Services are held Sundays.
Wesley Chapel AME Church
- 224 S. Fredericksburg St., San Marcos, TX
- 512-392-8034
- Visit Website
- This is an active church. Please be respectful of services.
