Sunday, May 5, 2024
The locally known “Leon River Dutch Oven Gang” will be providing some down-home cooking to benefit the ongoing restoration process of the historic Eagle Springs Baptist Church located in southeastern Coryell County.
The event will take place on Saturday, Oct. 22. The gang will begin serving lunch around 11 a.m., and provided on the menu will be Sloppy Joe sliders, cowboy potatoes, baked beans and Apple Dump Cake – all cooked on location in genuine old-time dutch ovens. The meal can be paid for by simply making a love donation to the church restoration. Charlotte Weiss, a member of the Leon River Dutch Oven Gang said, “we love helping out as well as teaching about dutch oven cooking.”
The Eagle Springs Baptist Church, an offspring of the Onion Creek Baptist Church, was built in 1878 in the community of Eagle Springs. The church was constructed primarily from cypress wood, which was hauled to the location by oxen-drawn wagons from Galveston. The small, one-room church is considered to be a rare type of architecture due to the two front doors – one for the men to enter through and one for the women. Very few of these historic churches are still in existence in Texas today. The inside of the church remains much the same as it did when Governor Pat Neff attended there as a child. The church pews, pulpit and pulpit chairs are original to the building.
About 17 years ago, the Historic Eagle Springs Baptist Church Association was formed in order to raise funding to have the church repaired and restored. Repair work remains continuous on the soon to be 145-year-old structure. Although funds were recently raised to have the floor of the church professionally leveled, the building continues to slant to the east. The siding, windowsills and parts of the eaves of the church need to be replaced, and of course, the building needs to be painted.
Association member, Martha Deeringer, said “The Leon River Dutch Oven Gang is a group of amazing folks who can cook up culinary magic in dutch ovens.” The church will be open to visitors who can see how their ancestors worshiped nearly 150 years ago, she said. There will be no need to bring a rifle -- the Comanche aren’t on the warpath anymore -- although early-day parishioners once attended services with rifles across their knees to guard against Indian attacks.
The public is strongly encouraged to attend this worthwhile fundraising event. “Don’t miss your chance to taste some delightful cooking, have a great lunch, and help out a historic Coryell County church at the same time,” Deeringer said.
The historic Eagle Springs Baptist Church is located at 14225 FM 107, a few miles from Mother Neff State Park.
