First Lutheran Church
Temple, Bell County, Texas
Marker Inscription
When this church was organized by the Rev. Carl Kreutzenstein in 1886 for Temple's German-speaking Lutherans, it was named Bethlehem Evangelical Lutheran Church. Charter members included the Schmidt, Paulus, Scholz, Koch, Bosl, Jahnke, Rhein, and Haedge families. A small frame sanctuary was built at the corner of Avenue F and Fourth Street. By 1913 the congregation needed larger facilities, and a new building was erected at Avenue G and South First. In 1946 the church was renamed First Lutheran Church. A new sanctuary was built at this site in 1958. (1989)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Organized in 1886 by the Rev. Carl Kreutzenstein, this congregation began as Bethlehem Evangelical Lutheran Church, serving Temple's German-speaking immigrants — families with names like Schmidt, Paulus, Scholz, and Jahnke. A small frame sanctuary gave way by 1913 to a larger building as the congregation grew, and in 1946 it took the name First Lutheran Church, dedicating a new sanctuary at this site in 1958.
Why it matters
The church records how German immigrant communities planted their language, faith, and institutions in central Texas and adapted them across the generations.
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Related people
- · Carl Kreutzenstein
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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Grace United Methodist Church
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