Texas Historical Marker #12572
Shiloh Cemetery. Burials in this cemetery began with Peters Colony pioneers who founded Ovilla in 1844. The earliest marked grave is that of Mary C. Patton, wife of elder James E. Patton, who died on August 14, 1851. The Pattons were among the original settlers of Ovilla. James S. and Martha Berry and the Rev. Finis E. King formally deeded land for the Shiloh Cumberland Presbyterian church and cemetery. Tombstones record the graves of a number of pastors who served the Shiloh church and many veterans of the Civil War, World Wars I and II, and Korea. Buried here also are members of fraternal lodges and two 19th-century Ovilla postmasters. (2001) #12572
7810 Shiloh Rd., Ovilla, TX, United States
Texas Historical Marker #13254
First Baptist Church of Ovilla. Area residents organized a Baptist church in September 1903. The next year, the community built a wooden tabernacle on Red Oak Creek for use by local churches, including the Baptist congregation, which participated in regular services and revivals. In 1922, the Rev. Bob Burleson became the first full-time pastor for the Baptists. Records are unclear about other early meeting spaces, but in 1936 the congregation built a sanctuary at this site, adding other facilities over time. More than 100 years after its initial organization, First Baptist still serves the community through worship, support and outreach. (2005) #13254
803 E Main, Ovilla, TX, United States
Texas Historical Marker #07135
Ovilla. One of the oldest communities in Ellis County, Ovilla began as a fortified settlement built in 1844 on upper Red Oak Creek. Shiloh Cumberland Presbyterian Church was founded in 1847 and the town's first schoolhouse was erected in 1849. By the turn of the century, Ovilla had a post office, banks, several stores, and a cotton gin. A marketing center for area farmers, Ovilla was bypassed by railroads and major highways. The town suffered destructive fires in 1918 and in 1926. Proximity to urban areas has stimulated new growth in recent years. #7135
?, Ovilla, TX, United States
Texas Historical Marker #11782
Ovilla Cemetery. The Ovilla community was founded by members of the Peters Colony in 1844. Benjamin and Erixna Caroline McFarlin were among the early members of the thriving farm community. On November 17, 1886, they deeded four acres to the new Ovilla Methodist Episcopal Church, South, for a church building and a burial ground. Though there may have been earlier burials, the earliest marked grave is that of Rebecca Summers McElroy, the wife of Tom C. McElroy, who died in 1884. Among the more than 440 people buried here are early settlers, at least seven veterans of the Civil War, and veterans of World War I, World War II, Korea and Vietnam. Ovilla Cemetery remains a chronicle of the pioneers of Ovilla community. (2000) #11782
1403 Red Oak Creek Dr., Ovilla, TX, United States
Texas Historical Marker #07148
Shiloh Cumberland Presbyterian Church. The first organized church in Ellis county, the Shiloh Cumberland Presbyterian Church congregation was chartered with twenty members on July 25, 1847, two years before the formation of the county. The church was begun under the leadership of the Rev. Finis E. King, a pioneer area minister, with the assistance of the Rev. J.C. Provine of Paris in Lamar County. Worship services were first conducted under a brush arbor and later in a cedar log tabernacle constructed by Matt McElroy and his eight sons. In 1872, during the pastorate of the Rev. D.G. Molloy, the present frame sanctuary was completed. J.P. Laughlin built the structure using lumber from Cherokee County in East Texas. Ministers here have included such prominent early Presbyterian preachers as the Rev. King, pastor from the church's organization until his death in 1859, and the Rev. E.M. White, who was instrumental in the formation of the several Ellis County churches. Since the earliest days of settlement, the Shiloh Cumberland Presbyterian congregation has led in the development of Ovilla and the surrounding area. #7148
?, Ovilla, TX, United States