About Us

Sitting comfortably on a well-worn pew in the old Savoy Methodist Church, you can almost hear the sounds made by generations of congregational members. Surely the men’s low voices, the children’s laughter, and the women’s lyrical soprano tones intermingled through the years in countless hymns, liturgies, studies, and prayers. Today, the old church, now known as Savoy Sanctuary, is returning to life with Christian worship, prayer and hymns again echoing within its walls, thanks to its new congregation, The Way Christian Fellowship of Savoy. (For information about worship services, contact www.followtheway.org). On Sunday mornings, you can even hear the beautiful tones of the original 1878 church bell ring throughout the town before each service.

1878 Savoy Sanctuary Preservation Society, Inc., is a Texas non-profit corporation formed to preserve, restore and maintain Savoy Sanctuary. Our Board members, and our volunteer supporters, Friends of Savoy Sanctuary, include residents of Savoy, family members of the last Methodist congregation, descendants of the City’s founder, and numerous people who are interested in preserving this special part of Savoy’s history. Our vision is for the community to use this lovely church for worship and nondenominational events such as weddings, memorials, and concerts.

Our History

By preserving and using Savoy Sanctuary, we follow in the path of the church’s most recent owner, Savoy Sanctuary, LLC. The family of John Erle Savoy, grandson of William Louis Duroc Savoy, founder of the City of Savoy, set up Savoy Sanctuary, LLC to purchase and preserve the beautiful church for the Savoy community. Before that, the last Methodist congregation obtained a Texas Historical Marker; and even after the church was given to the Savoy Independent School District, a member of the congregation reached out to the Texas Historical Commission to ask if there was some way to preserve the church building. Today, 1878 Savoy Sanctuary Preservation Society, and The Way Christian Fellowship of Savoy, our church congregation, are fulfilling their dreams.

For more information, please visit the History page of our website!