Buckholts Brethren Church
Buckholts, Milam County, Texas
Marker Inscription
As early as 1848, Bohemian and Moravian immigrants of the Unity of the Brethren faith arrived in Texas. The Protestant denomination began with Czech reformer John (Jan) Hus, and when Buckholts residents held their first Brethren services in 1894, they used the Czech language. The Rev. Adolph Chlumsky led the first services for the group, which in 1907 formally organized the Czech Moravian Church. Members built a wooden sanctuary at this site in 1913 and used it until dedicating a new structure in 1951, around which time the church began holding services in English. In 1959, the congregation changed its name to Buckholts Brethren Church. It continues to serve as a community focal point. (2006)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Bohemian and Moravian immigrants of the Unity of the Brethren — a faith tracing to the Czech reformer Jan Hus — began arriving in Texas as early as 1848. Buckholts residents held their first Brethren services in the Czech language in 1894 and formally organized in 1907, raising a wooden sanctuary in 1913. Only around 1951, with a new building, did the congregation begin worshiping in English, adopting its present name in 1959.
Why it matters
The church preserves the religious and linguistic heritage of Texas's Czech immigrant communities, a distinctive thread in the state's settlement story.
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Related people
- · Rev. Adolph Chlumsky
Themes & tags
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