Cochran Chapel United Methodist Church

It was in the mid 1850’s that the two Methodist societies of Webb Chapel and Cedar Springs decided to merge and build a church large enough to accommodate both. The Cochran farm was halfway between the two and Nancy Jane deeded 3 acres of her homestead, one acre for a family burying ground and two other acres for a new church. Nancy surveyed the land herself and wrote out the quaint old deed. For the sum of $1.00 the land was deeded to the Methodist Episcopal Church South on July 11, 1856; the first piece of deeded and dedicated church property in Dallas County.

All agreed that the name should be “Cochran Chapel” and construction of the first church building began. Lumber for the church was hauled in from Jefferson, Texas by wagons drawn by five yoke of oxen. The 30’ X 40’ building was completed and dedicated on 1858 without indebtedness; women seated on one side of the center aisle and men on the other…..guns stacked on each side of the door as protection against wild animals and prowling Indians.

It was decided in 1885 that the old church building was too dangerous to continue to use it. Quote: "Billy Taylor told me that he was afraid for his children to go there, and I told him we would have to build a new building. Billy and two others agreed head up the building committee and the construction." It took three months to build the church and it, like the first one, was dedicated debt free for sum of $600. It was a pretentious 40 X 70 foot frame building with a high peaked roof. Once again the men sat on the south side and the women on the north, with three benches on the south side for the Choir and three on the north side called the "mourners benches" or "Amen" pews.