Texas Historical Marker #11009
London Baptist Church. London Baptist Church traces its history to 1856. By 1857 church members shared meeting facilities with the Odd Fellows Lodge in a jointly owned building located on the stagecoach route from Henderson to Waco. The structure was destroyed by fire in 1877. In 1897 a new building was constructed near the same location. When oil was discovered in the area in 1930, London became a boom town and the church prospered, as well. Throughout its history, London Baptist Church has served the community with a variety of worship, educational, and outreach programs. #11009
?, New London, TX, United States
Texas Historical Marker #11023
New London School Explosion. New London School Explosion on March 18, 1937, a massive explosion destroyed the New London Junior-Senior High School, instantly killing an estimated 296 students and teachers. The subsequent deaths of victims from injuries sustained that day brought the final death count to 311. The explosion was blamed on a natural gas leak beneath the school building. Within weeks of the disaster the Texas Legislature passed a law requiring an odor to be added to natural gas, which previously was odorless and therefore undetectable. This memorial to victims of the explosion was erected in 1939. #11023
?, New London, TX, United States
Texas Historical Marker #11047
Pleasant Hill Cemetery. Located on land donated in 1845 by Captain Robert W. Smith (1814-1851), a veteran of the Texas Revolution, this cemetery first served the members of Pleasant Hill Cumberland Presbyterian Church. The earliest marked grave is that of DeWitt Smith, who died in 1850. Also buried here are 112 victims of the March 18, 1937, explosion which destroyed the school at New London (4 mi. NW) and killed 293 students and teachers. Annual Pleasant Hill homecoming activities, including a memorial service and dinner on the grounds, are conducted here each July. #11047
?, New London, TX, United States
Texas Historical Marker #11048
Pleasant Hill Missionary Baptist Church. Captain Robert W. Smith (1814-51), a veteran of the Texas Revolution, donated land at this site in 1845 for use by a Cumberland Presbyterian Church. The first building here, a log chapel, was also used for school classes. In 1856 the property was traded to a congregation of Baptists from the nearby community of London (4 mi. NW). Organized that year as Pleasant Hill Missionary Baptist Church, the fellowship has continued to worship here. The church and adjacent cemetery were legally separated in 1953 by court decree. #11048
?, New London, TX, United States