Texas Historical Marker #06852
City of Rowlett. Rowlett was first known as Morris, the name given to the post office that was established here in 1880. Austin Morris served as the first postmaster. In 1889, three years after the Greenville & Dallas Railroad (later the MK&T) was built through town, the post office's name was changed to Rowlett. Although the origin of the name is not clear, it may have come from Daniel Owen Rowlett, an early Texas settler who was a surveyor for Mercer's Colony. By the turn of the century, Rowlett had two doctors, a cotton gin, three general stores, a barber shop, blacksmith shop, two churches, a depot, and the post office. Additionally, by 1912 it boasted a bank, a telephone exchange, and a two-story school building. Many more businesses, including a newspaper (the "Rowlett News"), had begun in the town by 1937. The citizens of Rowlett voted to incorporate in 1952, and growth has continued throughout the 20th century. Lake Ray Hubbard, Dallas' chief source of water, was completed in 1971 and borders Rowlett on its east, south, and west sides. The history of the northeastern Dallas County town is a good reflection of the settlement patterns in this part of the state. Texas Sesquicentennial 1836 - 1986 #6852
4000 Main, Rowlett, TX, United States
Texas Historical Marker #06856
Sacred Heart Catholic Church of Rowlett. Second Catholic church organized in Dallas County, Sacred Heart owes its origins to the devotion of an Irishman, Patrick McEntee (1846 - 1921), who came to Texas in 1874. Farmer and merchant, McEntee helped build the railroad in this area. Tradition holds that services were conducted at his home before this church was built. The parish's first baptism in 1898 was that of his grandchild. McEntee provided the land for Sacred Heart Church and cemetery. Built in 1899, this structure was dedicated in 1900 by Bishop E. J. Dunne. The thirteen stained glass windows were reputedly imported from Germany as memorial tributes. One near the altar was donated by Bishop Dunne. In 1922 parishioners resolved that their building should face the new Bankhead Highway. They turned it around and reset it on the original foundation. The cedars backing the church once stood in front. Ladies of the Altar Society raised the funds for substantial remodeling of the Gothic Revival style edifice in 1955-56. Population loss threatened to close the church, but the membership grew as newcomers settled in the community. Weekly mass is celebrated now for a fellowship which includes descendants of the earliest families. #6856
3905 Hickox Rd., Rowlett, TX, United States