Coming down to Galveston soon? Looking for something fun and interesting to do? What about diving into Galveston’s deep historical culture? Why not take a tour of all of historic churches in Galveston? There is some beautiful scenery in all these churches and its something you won’t want to miss.
Today you will be given a sneak peek of some of the churches you will see if you attend this tour.
St. Joseph’s Church, 1859
2202 Avenue K
Galveston was home to nearly 3,000 immigrants by the mid-19th century. The first catholic bishop in the state of Texas, John Odin, sought out to build a church for Catholic German speaking immigrants. As stated earlier, St. Josephs Church is the oldest wooden cathedral in Galveston and the oldest German Catholic church in Texas.
Wesley Tabernacle United Methodist Church
902 28TH Street
Many African American worship groups began to form heavily after the Civil War. Dur to this situation, the Wesley Tabernacle United Methodist Church was born in 1869. It was built by African-American Carpenter, John Tankersley. It was destroyed by the Storm of 1900, was later rebuilt in 1901 by surviving attenders of the church.
Sacred Heart Catholic Church
928 14th Street (14th and Broadway)
The Sacred Heart Catholic Church was built in 1854. The French Romanesque interior of the church was designed by an architect by the name of Nicholas Clayton. Until the year 1892, it was the largest church in Texas and the third largest in the southern portion of the United States. It was destroyed by the Storm of 1900 and was rebuilt in 1903.
Galveston Bible Church
424 19TH Street
The Galveston Bible Church, originally named Believer’s Fellowship, was built in January of 1975. It was designed by architect, A. C. Fehlow. It is a mission style building that originally a chapel for the salvation army. The salvation army use the church for conducting youth work by way of character classes. There are glass stained windows placed in the church in honor of the memory of two mothers who died a short time after the church was built.
Assumption of the Virgin Mary Greek Orthodox Church
719 19TH Street
Members of Galveston Island’s Greek community collaborated with the Serbian, Russian, and Syrian citizens to establish the first Eastern Orthodox church in Texas. The building was damages by a fire and rebuilt with a taste of Byzantine architecture. Bishop John of Thermon later consecrated the church.
Conclusion
As you can see, this is a tour that you won’t want to miss. I learned so much from last year’s tour about buildings I didn’t even know existed for so long! So, go and book your tour today! You’ll regret missing it!
Tickets are $15 a person and all the profits go to refurbishments to the St. Joseph’s Church, which just so happens to be the oldest wooden church in Galveston and the oldest German Catholic church in the state of Texas.
The tour dates have not been scheduled yet, but you can check here for updates.