Bay City, Matagorda County
Tradition holds that slaves from nearby plantations once gathered together in worship in the Lower Caney Creek area. These men and women continued their services after the close of the Civil War and by 1885 acquired land at this site. Under the Rev. Anthony Morton (Martin), church members built a sanctuary here. For the next several decades, the building served as a place of worship, as well as a community school until circa 1930. Although area population declined during the 20th century, the congregation remains a symbol of the community's religious history. Its sanctuary and cemetery are visible links to generations of area families. (2005)