(Editor’s note: I’m on a quest to catalog all of the places in the Memphis area with historical markers in a semi-weekly feature called “On This Date, Something Happened".)

Before First Congregational was a huge Cooper-Young church that houses a hostel, bike shop, fair trade store, counseling services, the Mid-South Peace and Justice Center and child care, it was a small neighborhood house of worship with 25 members.

Here's what the marker says:

""Founded in 1862, organized 1864 with 25 members, this was the earliest Congregational Church in Memphis and State of Tennessee; known first as Union Church, next as Strangers Church at two downtown locations. This classical modified Ionic building, designed 1909 by Walk C. Jones (1874-1964), dedicated in 1910, enterd the National Register of Historic Places on 21 July 1980."

Isn't "Strangers Church" kind of a great name?

You can see the building on South Watkins St. between Eastmoreland and Union in Midtown.