First Baptist Church of Edom. One of the first baptist churches in Van Zandt County, this congregation traces its origins to the 1850s when early settlers organized a baptist church in this vicinity. Elder J. J. Whitmore was the first pastor. Membership increased as new families settled nearby. In 1929 the congregation erected a larger frame church building to accommodate its growing numbers. When the Edom school structure burned in 1934, the church facilities were used as temporary classrooms while the school was rebuilt. A new wing was added to the church in 1949, and a parsonage was built in 1956. A larger brick sanctuary constructed in 1961, was destroyed by fire in 1979. Services were held in a large tent while a new structure was completed. Worship services were held on the second and fourth Sundays until the early 1950s, when First Baptist became a full time church. Active in outreach programs, church members serve the community with scholarship funds, and Vacation Bible School, and provide a registered American Red Cross disaster shelter. The congregation also supports missionary work in Minnesota and Poland. Since its founding, First Baptist Church has been a significant institution in this part of Van Zandt County. (1996) #11405