Concord, Texas

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History

Concord Missionary Baptist Church. The historic Concord Missionary Baptist Church was organized on April 21, 1855 by pioneer settlers prior to the establishment of the community of Concord. The first pastor was the Reverend W. A. Walker who is buried in the Concord Cemetery near the church. Isaac Burleson donated the land for a building. In 1855, a Greek Revival style building was erected. The deed for the church was recorded on June 7, 1856. The church was remodeled in 1961. On September 2, 2011, a Labor Day weekend wildfire destroyed the historic Concord Missionary Baptist Church sanctuary. (1970, 2012). Located off SH 7 on CR 348 near cemetery in Concord about 8 mi. S of Jewett; church burned in wildfires in 2011, marker replaced with subject marker in 2012.

Concord Schools. Formal schools in Concord operated for nearly a century. J.E. Anderson taught in Redland and Concord in the late 1870s and early 1880s. A two-story frame schoolhouse, active from the early 1880s to 1919, stood on the hill later occupied by the Old Methodist Church. Trustees bought land from D.W. Montgomery, with a two-story red brick building completed in April 1920. The wooden schoolhouse was moved adjacent to the new building and used for primary grades. A new two-story structure, built in 1927, included an auditorium used for school and community purposes. The wooden schoolhouse moved to Concord Hill West for use as an African American School. Concord School added home economics and agriculture classes the following year. In 1929, Griffin, Bowling, Hickory Grove, Redland and Union Schools consolidated with Concord, and in 1933 the school achieved state accreditation and attendance peaked above 400 students. The gold and white Concord Bulldogs participated in district sports and other school activities. The Concord Independent School District organized in 1937, and five years later added twelfth grade coursework. However, enrollment dwindled, and in 1948 the school reclassified to an eight-grade system, with students attending high school in centerville. In 1950, six one- and two-teacher African American schools consolidated to one campus at Concord, succeeded by Carver Elementary and High School in 1953. In 1960, the Board of Education voted to consolidate with Marquez and Jewett to form Leon Independent School District. The home economics building remained as a community center, polling place and post office. The site remains a testimonial to the importance of rural education in the area. - Historical Marker Text Marker erected 2008.