In 1854, Nathan Hudgins, a circuit riding lay preacher born on May 10, 1814, came to Texas from Bellefonte, Alabama, purchased acreage in the middle of present-day Grapevine, and began conducting weekly and bi-weekly services from his home because the work of a circuit rider was strenuous and dangerous. Seeking a more permanent church organization, he arranged for the establishment of the Grapevine Methodist Episcopal Church, South in 1866, and worship continued in his home until 1873. In 1872, E.N. Hudgins and Susan L. Hudgins deeded two acres of land as a place of worship for church members, and the following year a structure was erected, though it was damaged by a windstorm in 1887. A new structure was built in 1901 with a bell tower and a stained glass window honoring Reverend Hudgins, who died that year. As attendance increased, larger facilities were needed, and over the years multiple buildings were built, removed, or renovated to serve the growing congregation. In 1968, after the merger of the National Methodist Church and Evangelical United Brethren Church, the congregation's name became First United Methodist Church, Grapevine. Its ministries and community outreach programs have continued to serve Grapevine since the town's establishment.