Historical Marker

St. John Lutheran Church

Historical marker location:
Castell, Texas
( from Castell take FM 152 east .5 mile)
Marker installed: 1990

German Lutherans in this area were served by circuit-riding lay minister Dietrich Rode as early as 1870. A congregation was organized in 1893 on the north side of the Llano River in the Leiningen settlement (about 3 mi. E). A second church, known as Leiningen Two or Zion, was built on the south side of the river (5 mi. E) in 1907. The two congregations merged as St. Johannes Evangelische Gemeinde in 1926, and a new sanctuary was built. Worship services were conducted in German until the 1950s, and the name was changed to St. John Lutheran Church.