Ebenezer Lutheran Church
Maxwell, Caldwell County, Texas
Marker Inscription
In 1885 the Rev. C. Kreuzenstein conducted the first formal German Lutheran worship service in this area. On June 3, 1886, a congregation was organized with 20 charter families. In 1924, during the pastorate of the Rev. Hans Erich Krause (1887-1942), this Gothic Revival building was constructed. Designed by San Antonio architect Leo Dielmann, the basilica-plan brick church features a tower with Romantic German Gothic details. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1986
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
German immigrants brought their Lutheran faith to Caldwell County, and in 1886 twenty charter families organized a congregation where the Rev. C. Kreuzenstein had first preached a year earlier. In 1924 they raised this striking Gothic Revival church, designed by noted San Antonio architect Leo Dielmann, its brick tower rich with Romantic German Gothic detail. The basilica-plan building remains a landmark of Texas's German settlement belt.
Why it matters
Ebenezer Lutheran embodies the deep imprint of German immigrants on Central Texas, whose churches, language, and architecture reshaped the region.
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Related people
- · Rev. C. Kreuzenstein
- · Rev. Hans Erich Krause
- · Leo Dielmann
Themes & tags
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