Riviera, Kleberg County
On March 27, 1910, three years after Riviera was established, the Rev. C.W. Perkins organized this congregation with 31 charter members. Originally named Riviera Methodist Episcopal Church, South, the fellowship met in a one-room schoolhouse until the church building was completed in 1912. The congregation served a vegetable and citrus farming area that spread over 18,800 acres. Despite hurricanes and drought, which have caused the town to decline, the church, which continues to occupy its 1912 sanctuary, remains a major force in the community. (1983)