First Methodist Church of Bryan. Among the circuit riders who preached to early Methodists in this area were The Rev. Robert Alexander, presiding elder of the district, and The Rev. H.V. Philpott, who conducted services in a hall above a saloon. The Rev. H.G. Horton organized this congregation in 1868 and soon raised $500 to build a church on this site, deeded by the Houston & Texas Central Railroad. A brick church, erected in 1902, burned in 1906 and was rebuilt in 1908. During the 1920s, an adjacent residence was bought and remodeled for classrooms and the fellowship hall. A new sanctuary was completed in 1951. #8679