Clarendon in Donley County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
St. Mary's Catholic Church
Priests periodically conducted Catholic worship services in public buildings or homes, traveling great distances around the Panhandle. In March 1892 a church site was purchased by Bishop Thomas Francis Brennan in Clarendon from R.E. Montgomery. The one-story wooden frame church building, completed in July 1892 and named St. Mary's Catholic Church, served a wide area.
St. Mary's Academy, a two-story Catholic school, was constructed here in 1898. Day and boarding students attended the school until its closure in 1911.
St. Mary's Church sanctuary fell into disrepair as membership declined in the 1930s and 1940s due to depressed economic conditions. Catholics of this region restored the building. The first Catholic Church in the Panhandle, the church was designated in 1951 as the Shrine of Our Lady of the Panhandle.
Erected 1996 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 14341.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Churches & Religion. A significant historical month for this entry is March 1892.
Location. 34° 55.897′ N, 100° 53.201′ W. Marker is in Clarendon, Texas, in Donley County. Marker is at the intersection of Montgomery Street and McClelland Street, on the right when traveling east on Montgomery Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 815 Montgomery Street, Clarendon TX 79226, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Quanah Parker Trail (approx. 0.3 miles away); Donley County Courthouse (approx. 0.4 miles away); First United Methodist Church of Clarendon (approx. 0.4 miles away); Stockton P. Donley (approx. half a mile away); Funeral Business in Clarendon (approx. half a mile away); The Clarendon News (approx. half a mile away); Church of St. John Baptist (approx. half a mile away); S. W. Lowe House (approx. 0.6 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Clarendon.
Credits. This page was last revised on December 12, 2016. It was originally submitted on December 12, 2016, by Bill Kirchner of Tucson, Arizona. This page has been viewed 408 times since then and 15 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on December 12, 2016, by Bill Kirchner of Tucson, Arizona.