St. John Church
Pflugerville, Travis County, Texas
Marker Inscription
German settlers who came to Richland community in the 1860s worshiped originally in private homes. Nineteen charter members, under leadership of the Rev. G. Haehnelt, organized the St. John German Evangelical Lutheran Church in 1878. Church land was given for a schoolhouse where services were held until the first sanctuary was built in 1884. The second was erected in 1891 and replaced by the present building in 1925. Services were conducted in German until the 1930s. In 1960 the congregation became affiliated with the United Church of Christ. (1978)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
German settlers who reached the Richland community in the 1860s first worshiped in their own parlors before nineteen charter members organized St. John German Evangelical Lutheran Church in 1878. A donated tract served as both schoolhouse and sanctuary until the congregation built successively larger churches, culminating in the present 1925 building. Services were held in German until the 1930s, a mark of how long the old language lingered in the farm country north of Austin.
Why it matters
It preserves the story of German immigrant faith and language in Central Texas, where transplanted Old World congregations shaped the region's culture for generations.
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Related people
- · G. Haehnelt
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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