Christ Lutheran Church
Taylor, Williamson County, Texas
Marker Inscription
In the mid-1880s, Lutheran families living at the Wendish settlement, Hochkirk, met in homes for church services. Local Pastor Gotthilf Birkmann began to officiate these meetings. Peter Zieschang, founder of Hochkirk, donated three acres of land for the site of a church. In 1891, at the cost of $200, the community dedicated a newly built church. In 1902, Hochkirk was renamed Noack, after postmaster John Ernest Noack. A parochial school was established at the church that taught separate German and English classes. Church services were in German until 1922, when English was gradually introduced. By the mid-1940s, all services were held in English. The present church building was completed in 1916 and is still in use. (2016)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
In the mid-1880s, Wendish and German Lutheran families in the settlement of Hochkirk gathered in one another's homes for worship led by Pastor Gotthilf Birkmann. Peter Zieschang donated three acres, and in 1891 the community dedicated a church for just $200. The congregation ran a parochial school teaching in both German and English and held services in German until the 1920s, when English gradually took over—a small window into how immigrant faith communities slowly Americanized.
Why it matters
Christ Lutheran reflects the Wendish and German migration that seeded central Texas with tight-knit immigrant congregations whose language and worship marked their long transition into American life.
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Related people
- · Gotthilf Birkmann
- · Peter Zieschang
- · John Ernest Noack
Themes & tags
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