The Rev. E.R. Barcus served as the first pastor of the congregation, organized in 1882, one year after the city of Temple was founded. The original structure on this site was destroyed by fire in 1911. The present Romanesque Revival building was finished three years later. Architects were Sanguinet & Staats of Fort Worth. For many years civic meetings and school functions were conducted in the sanctuary, the largest in the area. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1979