Chandler, Henderson County
The Chandler United Methodist Church dates back to the 1870s when a group of Methodists came to Stillwater, about two miles north of Chandler, on the Upper Athens-Tyler stagecoach road. A. H. Chandler, who settled in the northeastern part of Henderson County in 1859, donated land to the Methodist Church. The congregation traded the land for the present site from T. P. Morman. The church was officially chartered due to the efforts of Laura Fitzgerald Maynard, the Ben Fitzgerald family, the Chamness family and others. In 1889, the Texas Conference appointed Rev. O. C. Fountain as the first pastor. Before 1908 a new frame building was erected and, as it grew, wings were added in 1923 for additional space. In 1940, the Chandler Church became a member of the Texas Annual Conference, active in the Tyler district. The Colonial Style church seen today was built in 1953 to accommodate increased membership. The structure, now named Heritage Hall, continues to serve the church and community. As the congregation grew, a new fellowship hall and additional classrooms were added in 1976 and again in 1979. In 1992, the congregation changed the name of the church to First United Methodist Church of Chandler. In 1998, a south campus was completed on the lake and named Lake Palestine United Methodist Church. What began as a small group of Methodists has grown into a sustaining spiritual force in Chandler.