First Protestant Church
296 S. Sequin St., New Braunfels, TXThe First Protestant Church in New Braunfels is strongly German in character and probably not so much Gothic Revival as a continuation of a traditional German vernacular type. There is a stout firmness in the handling of the massing and a simplicity and sureness of form that together with the fine stonework makes this a notable example of the architecture of the German settlers in Texas.
In the spring of 1845, Prince Solms of Braunfels am Lahn, Germany, and his followers landed in Houston, Texas. Solms had purchased land on the San Saba and Llano rivers. Indian raids, however, a discouraged settlements near the San Saba, so Solms bought a league of land on the Comal River and took a contingent of German settlers there to begin farming.
On October 15, 1845, the Republic of Texas issued a charter to the Solms German Protestant Congregation and in the spring of the following year, the settlers of New Braunfels built a log church. They laid a cornerstone on March 8, 1846, and held their first services on March 22, Palm Sunday, April 5, the church was consecrated.
About 1870 the congregation decided to build a larger church. They formed a building committee instead of hiring a contractor, and they commissioned architect Jacob Langkopf. To keep costs down, the committee decided to limit the length of the church to eighty feet, with construction to be done in such a way that the church could be lengthened in the future. They chose native limestone as the building material and laid a cornerstone on July 18, 1875.
On March 16, 1879, the congregation held its first service in the new church. They dedicated a tower on July 14, 1889, at the cost of $2,800, and finished the interior by July 1893, at the cost of $1,728.39.
The church was renovated in 1955 in order to accommodate a growing membership. The congregation lengthened the church and added rooms on each side of the tower. They also added a basement to house heating and cooling equipment.
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1967
Listed in National Register of Historic Places in 1971.
The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the Nation’s historic places worthy of preservation. Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America’s historic and archeological resources.