Near Lott in Falls County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
Church of the Visitation
Photographed by QuesterMark, September 3, 2018
1. Church of the Visitation Texas Historical Marker
Inscription.
Church of the Visitation. . German natives who settled originally in Colorado County came here in 1879 looking for better land. Pleased with the soil and location, they brought their families and immediately purchased 100 acres for a church and school. The earliest Mass was said in 1882 in the home of the first settler, Theodore Rabroker. The original church building, completed in February 1884, was destroyed the following May by a terrible storm. The congregation rebuilt the structure by July.
Large numbers of German-American Catholic families moved into the area. Westphalia was named after the province from which the early settlers came.
Visiting priests served until 1893 when the Rev. Michael Heintzelmann was assigned as the permanent pastor. He led the congregation for the next 36 years. In 1895, with A. Fuchs of Waco as the designer and contractor, the present church house was completed. The stones were shipped by railroad from Muldoon, Texas, to Lott (8 mi. NE) and then hauled here by wagon. The central church area forms a Latin cross. For safety in storms, six inches of sway was built into the bell towers. The original-design stained glass windows are very rare and priceless. This is one of the largest wooden church buildings in the state. (1978)
German natives who settled originally in Colorado County came here in 1879 looking for better land. Pleased with the soil and location, they brought their families and immediately purchased 100 acres for a church and school. The earliest Mass was said in 1882 in the home of the first settler, Theodore Rabroker. The original church building, completed in February 1884, was destroyed the following May by a terrible storm. The congregation rebuilt the structure by July.
Large numbers of German-American Catholic families moved into the area. Westphalia was named after the province from which the early settlers came.
Visiting priests served until 1893 when the Rev. Michael Heintzelmann was assigned as the permanent pastor. He led the congregation for the next 36 years. In 1895, with A. Fuchs of Waco as the designer and contractor, the present church house was completed. The stones were shipped by railroad from Muldoon, Texas, to Lott (8 mi. NE) and then hauled here by wagon. The central church area forms a Latin cross. For safety in storms, six inches of sway was built into the bell towers. The original-design stained glass windows are very rare and priceless. This is one of the largest wooden church buildings in the state.
(1978)
Location. 31° 7.352′ N, 97° 6.979′ W. Marker is near Lott, Texas, in Falls County. It is on County Route 3000, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 144 County Road 3000, Lott TX 76656, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Prairies & Lakes Region. Globally, it is in North America, a Gulf of Mexico state, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain, the Republic of Texas, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Credits. This page was last revised on October 22, 2018. It was originally submitted on October 21, 2018, by QuesterMark of Fort Worth, Texas. This page has been viewed 473 times since then and 24 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on October 21, 2018, by QuesterMark of Fort Worth, Texas. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
