West Point in Fayette County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
St. Peter Lutheran Church and Prairie Valley Cemetery
Photographed by James Hulse, April 15, 2022
1. St. Peter Lutheran Church and Prairie Valley Cemetery Marker
Inscription.
St. Peter Lutheran Church and Prairie Valley Cemetery. . Sixteen families led by the Rev. R. Osthoff organized this church in 1896. The congregation met at the schoolhouse and Knights of Honor Lodge. Dietrich Hermann Wessels donated two acres for a church and cemetery across the road from the lodge hall in 1900. The first burial was that of Heinrich George Wessels in 1900. The St. Petri congregation was recognized by the Missouri Synod in January 1901; the church building was completed in February. Most of the grave inscriptions before the 1930s are in German. Church services were held in German until 1935. Burials in the cemetery are almost all those of church members, including the charter families. With about seventy members and more than 121 graves, both church and cemetery remain active.
Sixteen families led by the Rev. R. Osthoff organized this church in 1896. The congregation met at the schoolhouse and Knights of Honor Lodge. Dietrich Hermann Wessels donated two acres for a church and cemetery across the road from the lodge hall in 1900. The first burial was that of Heinrich George Wessels in 1900. The St. Petri congregation was recognized by the Missouri Synod in January 1901; the church building was completed in February. Most of the grave inscriptions before the 1930s are in German. Church services were held in German until 1935. Burials in the cemetery are almost all those of church members, including the charter families. With about seventy members and more than 121 graves, both church and cemetery remain active.
Erected 1999 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 11880.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Cemeteries & Burial Sites. A significant historical month for this entry is January 1901.
Location. 29° 56.848′ N, 96° 59.753′ W. Marker is in West Point, Texas, in Fayette County. It is at the intersection of Prairie Valley Road and Williams Road, on the right when traveling north on Prairie Valley Road. The marker is located in the front of the church. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 640 Prairie Valley Road, West Point TX 78963, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the American South and on the Gulf Coast. 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.
2. The St. Peter Lutheran Church and Prairie Valley Cemetery with Marker
(the marker is between the church and cemetery on the sidewalk)
Photographed by James Hulse, April 15, 2022
3. The St. Peter Lutheran Church and Prairie Valley Cemetery
Credits. This page was last revised on April 19, 2022. It was originally submitted on April 19, 2022, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. This page has been viewed 488 times since then and 18 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3. submitted on April 19, 2022, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.
