Founded on March 16, 1839, Christ Church Cathedral was Houston’s
first religious congregation and is the only one still
worshiping on its original site from the days when Houston was
the capital of the Republic of Texas. Its adventurous founders
left the United States to build a new nation. Most were young,
and many had had distinguished careers back in the States. Work
to build Houston began in early 1837. The city had a theater at
the end of its first year; grand balls were given; and the
Jockey Club races had entrance fees up to $500! But Houston had
no church. Visiting Episcopal priests wrote to The Spirit of
Missions about this promising mission field. The letters ran
under the caption “Foreign Correspondence” amid reports from
West Africa, Constantinople, and China. Col. William Fairfax
Gray, whose church in Virginia was already 100 years old, was
one of Houston’s first citizens. He moved his family down to
what his wife called “this precocious city.” On March 16, 1839,
he circulated a paper for signers