Saint John the Evangelist Catholic Church
Hondo, Medina County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Constructed of Seco brick in 1912, this is the second church structure to serve the Catholic community in Hondo. Designed by San Antonio architect Fred Bowen Gaenslen, it was built by Alfred R. Wottlin during the pastorate of the Rev. J.J. Meyers. Used for all worship services until 1969, it was rededicated as a parish hall in 1972. The brick detailing, round arches and tripartite window are typical features of the Romanesque Revival style. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark -- 1992
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Raised in 1912 from locally made Seco brick, this was the second church to serve Hondo's Catholic community, designed by San Antonio architect Fred Bowen Gaenslen and built during the pastorate of the Rev. J. J. Meyers. Its round arches, brick detailing, and tripartite window mark it as Romanesque Revival. It hosted worship until 1969 and was rededicated as a parish hall in 1972.
Why it matters
It reflects the enduring Catholic faith and craftsmanship of the Medina County communities settled in early Texas.
The story behind this marker
AI contextThe era
Hondo grew up along the railroad that pushed west from San Antonio in the late nineteenth century, through Medina County country that had been settled decades earlier by European immigrants, many of them Catholic families from Alsace and the German-speaking lands. By the early 1900s the town was a working railroad and farming community. Its churches were among the most important things it could build.
The years around 1912 were a confident time for small Texas towns. Railroads brought in new people and new money, and congregations that had started out in modest frame buildings began replacing them with permanent ones. A brick church sent a message: this community was here to stay.
Seco brick, made in the surrounding region, gave the building a local character. Medina County had the clay and the know-how to fire it, so the parish could build with materials from its own corner of Texas instead of shipping in stone or lumber from far away.
People & events
The Catholic community in Hondo had already outgrown one church by the time this one went up. That first building served the early congregation. The second, raised in 1912, reflected a parish that had grown in numbers and ambition.
The Rev. J. J. Meyers was pastor during construction. Building a substantial church took more than a priest's vision. It also took years of fundraising, planning and persuasion within a farming and railroad community, and the pastorate under which it happened is remembered for it. The design came from Fred Bowen Gaenslen, a San Antonio architect, which shows that the parish wanted professional, big-city design for its small-town house of worship. The builder was Alfred R. Wottlin, and his crew turned those drawings into brick and mortar.
For more than half a century the building held every Mass, baptism, wedding and funeral the parish celebrated. In 1969 worship moved elsewhere. Rather than tear the old church down, the parish gave it a second life, rededicating it in 1972 as a parish hall. In 1992 it was recognized as a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark.
Its place in the American story
Across the country in the late 1800s and early 1900s, immigrant and frontier communities measured their progress partly by their churches. Building in brick, in a recognized architectural style, showed that a congregation had moved from survival to permanence. Hondo's church is a small, clear example of that national pattern.
The Romanesque Revival style, with its round arches, heavy masonry and grouped windows, was popular for American churches, courthouses and public buildings in this period. It borrowed from medieval European churches, and for congregations with European roots that link to the Old World could feel especially fitting.
The building's reuse is part of the story too. Many American parishes built new churches in the mid-twentieth century. Many old sanctuaries were simply demolished. Converting this one into a parish hall kept a community landmark in daily use, which is often the best protection a historic building can have.
If you visit
Look closely at the brickwork. The marker points to the decorative brick detailing, and it rewards a slow walk around the building. Notice how the masons used the brick not just as a wall but as ornament.
Then find the round arches and the tripartite window, a three-part window grouping that is one of the signature features of Romanesque Revival design. Seeing these elements together helps you recognize the style on courthouses and churches elsewhere in Texas.
Remember that this is still a working parish building, so be respectful of any events going on. Hondo sits on the route west of San Antonio, which makes it an easy stop if you are exploring the old European settlement towns of Medina County or heading toward the Hill Country and beyond.
Written by AI to add context, grounded in the marker’s inscription and the historical record. The inscription above is the original, unaltered text.
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Related people
- · Fred Bowen Gaenslen
- · J. J. Meyers
Themes & tags
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