Nancy and Aquilla Cahill came to Texas in 1859 and settled in the area of Johnson County that would later be incorporated as the City of Alvarado in 1885. The community that developed around their farm became known as Cahill. In 1884, the people of the Cahill community organized a Sunday School at the Myers School House and began to meet regularly. Aquilla Cahill had long told his children that he wanted to have a Methodist Church and cemetery at this location. Aquilla died in 1888 and in 1893 five acres were deeded by his daughter, Sarah E. Snodgrass, in memory of her father, for a Methodist church and cemetery. A sanctuary and tabernacle were built by church members and the congregation at Cahill Chapel was served for years by circuit riding ministers. 

Membership records of Cahill Chapel from 1894 to 1910 indicate that between 150 and 300 people called this church their place of worship.

The original building for Cahill Chapel was a bare wood floor frame building about 30’ x 50’. It was heated by a cast-iron stove and lit by kerosene lamps. Myers School became Cahill School in 1909 and was moved to the south of the church. A Delco Electric lighting system and new water system were installed and shared with the school.

Cahill has gone through updates, remodels, expansions, and added new buildings. There was a school here for many years. As one of the oldest churches in the oldest city in Johnson County our building is an official Texas Historical Site.

Our Little Prayer Chapel

Lynn Moore, who has been a member of the church for more than 25 years, said one Sunday upon arriving at church she found a note stuck in the door of the sanctuary. Part of the note said, “I came to the church to pray, but the door was locked. I am in need of prayer. I am a drug addict. I am a thief. My mother is a drug addict.” Moore said she read the note in church and prayed for the writer and mother. “We put our own note on the church sign that said: We received your note. Come home.” Moore said.

The next week a man who was visiting from out of town was so touched by the note that he donated $500 for a project. “The project turned out to be a prayer chapel,” Moore said. “Building the chapel was supervised by Chuck Smith and Roger Moore, and several of our members contributed labor to bring it to fruition.”

Moore said it is another testimony to bringing Christ to the community.