St. Paul Lutheran Church
Wichita Falls, Wichita County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Lutheran missionary work in the Wichita Falls area was begun in 1886. This congregation was organized September 2, 1894, by the Rev. Robert L. Mehlhorn, first resident missionary. Worship services were held in private homes or borrowed facilities until the first church building was constructed at this site in 1904, during the pastorate of the Reverend G. A. Obenhaus. St. Paul has operated a Christian day school since 1914. The congregation became self-sustaining in 1919. A larger brick church building replaced the original structure in 1927. (1981)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Lutheran missionary work reached the young town of Wichita Falls in 1886, and in 1894 the Rev. Robert Mehlhorn organized this congregation, its first services held in private homes and borrowed rooms. A church rose on this site in 1904, and from 1914 the congregation ran a Christian day school. Self-supporting by 1919, St. Paul soon outgrew its first home and replaced it with a larger brick sanctuary in 1927.
Why it matters
German Lutheran congregations carried both faith and parochial schooling into the growing towns of North Texas, shaping the culture of their communities for generations.
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Related people
- · Rev. Robert L. Mehlhorn
- · Rev. G. A. Obenhaus
Themes & tags
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