Gethsemane Lutheran Church facts for kids
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Gethsemane Lutheran Church
and Luther Hall |
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 Location in Texas
Location in the United States
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| Location | 1510 Congress Ave., Austin, Texas |
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| Area | 0.2 acres (0.081 ha) |
| Built | 1882 |
| Built by | Fredric Reichow, S. A. Carlson |
| Architect | August Swenson |
| Architectural style | Gothic revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 70000766 (original) 04001398 (increase) |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | August 25, 1970 |
| Boundary increase | December 23, 2004 |
The Gethsemane Lutheran Church is a very old church building in downtown Austin, Texas. It's considered a special historic place, listed as a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark and on the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's important to history! The building, along with another one next to it called Luther Hall, is now used as offices for the Texas Historical Commission.
Contents
History of Gethsemane Church
The first Swedish Lutheran Church group in Austin started meeting in 1868. By late 1882, they decided to build a new church. They chose a spot close to the Texas State Capitol building. The church was finished the next year, and the group began using it for their services.
In 1940, a second building called Luther Hall was built right next to the main church. This new hall gave them more space for meetings and activities.
The church group moved to a new location in 1961. After they left, the State of Texas bought the old church and Luther Hall. These buildings then became part of the area around the State Capitol.
Saving a Historic Building
After the church group moved out in 1961, many people in the community wanted to protect the old church. They believed it was an important part of history.
In 1962, the church was named a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark. This is a special title for buildings that are important to Texas history. Then, on August 25, 1970, the main church building was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This is a list of places across the country that are important to American history. Later, on December 23, 2004, Luther Hall was also added to this national list.
Between 1970 and 1971, the church and Luther Hall were fixed up. They were made ready to be offices, a library, and a museum for the Texas Historical Commission. This commission works to preserve Texas history. Since 1998, the main church building has held the commission's library. Luther Hall is now used for offices by their History Programs Division.
Church Architecture
The Gethsemane Lutheran Church building is a two-story rectangular hall. It's made of tan bricks and sits on a limestone foundation. The roof is gray pressed tin. A tall, square bell tower with a steeple rises from the front center of the building.
The church is built in a Gothic revival style. This means it looks like old European churches. It has brick buttresses (supports on the outside walls) and cornices (decorative edges). There are also tall, narrow lancet windows with brick hood moulds (decorative arches above the windows). August Swenson was the architect who designed the church. Fredric Reichow was the builder, and S. A. Carlson was the contractor.
The main part of the church is shaped like a rectangle. The front entrance and tower face east. The main door is at the bottom of the tower. It's shaped like a Gothic arch and has a stained-glass window above the wooden double doors. The second level of the tower has another stained-glass lancet window. Above that, the tower gets narrower and becomes an eight-sided cupola (a small dome) with a belfry (where bells are kept). A pointed roof with a cross on top finishes the tower.
The sides of the church have five stained-glass lancet windows each. These windows are separated by brick buttresses. All the windows and the main entrance have decorative brick arches above them.
An interesting fact: The bricks used for the church came from the old Texas State Capitol building. That building burned down in 1881. Also, the main doors of the church were taken from the University of Texas at Austin's old Main Building in the 1930s when it was torn down.
Luther Hall's Design
Luther Hall is a two-story rectangular building made of brick and limestone. It sits right next to the main church building. This hall was designed in a Modern Movement style. This means it has simple, balanced lines. The front of Luther Hall has a main entrance with double doors and a window above them, similar to the church's main door. Above the entrance, there's a stepped wall with a round medallion. This medallion shows the coat of arms of Martin Luther, who was an important leader in the Lutheran church.
See also
