St. Mary's Catholic Church (Fredericksburg, Texas) Explained

St. Mary's Catholic Church
Denomination:Roman Catholic
Diocese:Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Antonio
Status:Parish church
Functional Status:Active
Architect:Leo M.J. Dielmann
Style:Gothic Revival
Years Built:-
Dedicated Date:1906
Location:306 W. San Antonio St.
Fredericksburg, Texas
Coordinates:30.2769°N -98.8764°W
Pushpin Map:Texas#USA
Pushpin Label Position:right
Relief:yes
Website:http://church.stmarysfbg.com/
Embedded:
Nocat:1
Embed:yes
St. Mary's Catholic Church
Nrhp Type:cp
Builder:Jacob Wagner
Added:June 21, 1983
Designated Nrhp Type:October 14, 1970
Area:less than one acre
Refnum:83003143
Partof Refnum:70000749
Designated Other1:Recorded Texas Historic Landmark
Designated Other1 Date:1995
Designated Other1 Number:14697
Designated Other1 Num Position:bottom

St. Mary's Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic church at 306 W. San Antonio in Fredericksburg, Texas.

History

Old St. Mary's

The first Catholic church in Fredericksburg was a log house built in 1848.[1] In 1861 it was replaced by a stone building, completed in 1863.[2] Now called Old St. Mary's, since 1906 this building has served several purposes, including as a schoolhouse.[3] Its place in the history of German immigration to Texas lead it to be listed as a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1994.[3]

St. Mary's today

By 1901 the church building was too small for the congregation.[4] A new church was designed by San Antonio architect Leo M.J. Dielmann[4] [5] and built by contractor Jacob Wagner in 1906.[1] The current St. Mary's contains many Gothic features such as buttresses, trefoil motifs, and a corner tower rising high above the roofline.[2] [4] The interior contains extensive painting and murals, including on the organ pipes and ceiling vaults,[2] leading to its inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places as a painted church. It is also part of the National Register's Fredericksburg Historic District,[2] and a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark.[4]

The current campus also includes Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church at 302 East College Street. Originally opened in 1919, it was closed in the 1940s, then reopened as a mission of St. Mary's for Spanish speakers in 1983.[6]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Knopp. Kenn. A Short History of New St. Mary's Church. The Painted Churches of Texas: Echoes of the Homeland. Sacred Ground. 2013-11-08. https://web.archive.org/web/20130213193726/http://www.klru.org/paintedchurches/fredericksburg.html. 2013-02-13. dead.
  2. Web site: [ftp://ftp.thc.state.tx.us/nr_program/Painted%20Churches%20MPS.pdf Churches in Texas with Decorative Interior Painting – National Register of Historic Places Thematic Nomination ]. 1983 . Kennedy . Carol . Flory Butler . Linda . McCann . Marianne . 30–32 . . 2013-11-08 .
  3. Web site: Old St. Mary's Church (Die Alte Kirche) . Texas Historic Sites Atlas . Texas Historical Commission . 2013-11-08.
  4. Web site: St. Mary's Catholic Church . Texas Historic Sites Atlas . Texas Historical Commission . 2013-11-08.
  5. Web site: A Guide to the Leo M. J. Dielmann Papers, Drawings, and Photographs, 1847-1961. Daughters of the Republic of Texas. 2013-11-08.
  6. Web site: Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church . St. Mary's Catholic Church (official website) . 2013-11-08 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20131111063832/http://church.stmarysfbg.com/about-stmarys/olg.cfm . 2013-11-11 .