Eben-Ezer Evangelical Lutheran Church
Brenham, Washington County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Spiritual center of the Berlin community, which was settled by Germans in 1847. On a missionary visit, Dec. 24, 1854, The Rev. Johann Ebinger (1828-1908) of Harris County held earliest Lutheran service in Washington County. On July 1, 1855, he founded Eben-Ezer Church with William C. Bohne, F. H. Ehlert, F. F. Spreen and others as trustees. Ludwig C. Lehmann (1794-1855) donated 11-acre church site. Landowners gave post oak logs, renters gave labor for building first church, incorporating a parsonage. The early pastors taught school in that first church building.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
German immigrants settled the Berlin community near Brenham in 1847, and on Christmas Eve 1854 the Rev. Johann Ebinger held Washington County's first Lutheran service. He founded Eben-Ezer Church on July 1, 1855, on eleven acres donated by Ludwig C. Lehmann, with landowners giving post-oak logs and renters giving labor to raise a building that also housed a parsonage. The early pastors taught school there, making the church the settlement's spiritual and educational heart.
Why it matters
Eben-Ezer reflects the wave of German immigration that reshaped central Texas, where transplanted faith and language built lasting rural communities from raw prairie.
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Related people
- · Johann Ebinger
- · Ludwig C. Lehmann
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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