P. O. W. Camp Chapel
Dimmitt, Castro County, Texas
Marker Inscription
This chapel is one of the few physical reminders of the days this site served as an Italian prisoner of war camp during World War II. The prisoners, several of them fine artists and craftsmen, designed and built the chapel, crafting the concrete building to resemble marble. Completed in 1945, the chapel stands as a memorial to the five Italians who died while interned at the camp. A restoration project, begun in 1987, was completed in 1989. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1992
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
During World War II this site held Italian prisoners of war, and among them were skilled artists and craftsmen who designed and built a small chapel, working the concrete so cleverly that it mimics marble. Completed in 1945, it stands as a memorial to the five Italians who died while interned at the camp. Restored between 1987 and 1989, the little chapel is one of the few physical reminders that enemy prisoners once lived and worshiped on the Texas plains.
Why it matters
POW-built chapels like this one testify to a little-remembered chapter of the home front, when hundreds of thousands of Axis prisoners were held across rural America—and to the shared humanity that endured behind the wire.
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Related events
- · World War II
Themes & tags
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