Starting from Round Top proper, head northwest through Giddings and then slightly south to eventually reach the small town of Serbin, TX. After roughly 30 minutes of travel, one will come across St. Paul Lutheran and its striking blue central space that instantly evokes a clear ocean that one might find when visiting a pristine sandy beach.
TXPainted Church Tidbit: Saint Paul’s boasts the tallest pulpit in Texas, which resides on the upper level of the church based upon the Christian tradition of having men and women sit on separate levels – a practice that dates back centuries. In Rome, there is an example of a church where women sat on the level above the men. At St. Paul’s, when this practice was in place, men sat on the upper level, and women and children on the ground floor.
rom there, we recommend taking US-77 south to the tiny town of Ammannsville, where an intrepid explorer will come across St. John theBaptist Czech Catholic Church– a historic site built in 1917 that is on theNational Register of Historic Places. In contrast to St. Paul’s blue hue, St.John the Baptist boasts an eye-catching pink variation in its central space on the walls above the seats and the altar.
TXPainted Church Tidbit: Known as “The Pink Church”, St. John the Baptist isthe third iteration of a church to be built on this site. The first was destroyed by a hurricane in 1909, and the second burned in a fire just eight years later.
Travelers get a reprieve with a short six-minute drive from St. John the Baptist to St. Cyril and Methodius Catholic Church Dubina. Boasting a similar blue to St. Paul Lutheran, St. Cyril’s interior space is additionally magnified by several stark white domineering columns that extend from the floor to the ceiling, magnifying the blue ceiling and creating a sort of “clouds in the sky” effect.
TXPainted Church Tidbit: The church is topped with an iron cross constructed by Tom Lee, a freed slave and blacksmith.
St. Mary’s Church High Hill in Schulenberg is highlighted bya soaring and ornate altar configuration that is accentuated by beautiful stainglass windows on all sides.
TXPainted Church Tidbit: This is one of the first churches erected by famedTexas architect, Leo M.J. Dielmann. Dielmann would go on to design over 100churches across Texas, several of which are now on the National Register ofHistoric Places.
Less than 15 minutes from St. Mary’s High Hill, a Gothic revival-style chapel resides in Praha, TX by the name of – well – St. Mary!From one St. Mary to another, the Praha St. Mary has a bluish green ceiling andis also dominated by prominent columns. Swiss-born artist Gottfried Flury painted much of the interior utilizing a combination of stenciling, infill painting, and freehand techniques to bring the church’s worship space to life.
TXPainted Church Tidbit: Legend has it that – because this church stands so tall at over 130 feet above the ground – the town offered a keg of beer to whomever would be willing to climb to the top to place a cross. One man took up the offer and proceeded to not only place the cross successfully but also perform a handstand on top of it. The man had experience in placing steeples on top of churches, which helps explain his willingness to take the challenge. As they say, to the victor go the spoils – in this case a copious amount of beer!
One of the smallest and oldest churches on the route, the tiny structure’s worship space consists of a dark ceiling – much darker incolor than the previous entries – but is enlivened with a prominent chandelier-like hanging light fixture.
TXPainted Church Tidbit: The church doubled as a schoolhouse, and itsinterior was painted by Reverend and schoolteacher, Bohuslav Laciak, in 1889.Lack tragically died in a hunting accident before he could complete his ceiling design. To this day, visitors can see markings where he planned to finish the artwork.
Starting from Round Top proper, head northwest through Giddings and then slightly south to eventually reach the small town of Serbin, TX. After roughly 30 minutes of travel, one will come across St. Paul Lutheran and its striking blue central space that instantly evokes a clear ocean that one might find when visiting a pristine sandy beach.
TXPainted Church Tidbit: Saint Paul’s boasts the tallest pulpit in Texas, which resides on the upper level of the church based upon the Christian tradition of having men and women sit on separate levels – a practice that dates back centuries. In Rome, there is an example of a church where women sat on the level above the men. At St. Paul’s, when this practice was in place, men sat on the upper level, and women and children on the ground floor.
rom there, we recommend taking US-77 south to the tiny town of Ammannsville, where an intrepid explorer will come across St. John theBaptist Czech Catholic Church– a historic site built in 1917 that is on theNational Register of Historic Places. In contrast to St. Paul’s blue hue, St.John the Baptist boasts an eye-catching pink variation in its central space on the walls above the seats and the altar.
TXPainted Church Tidbit: Known as “The Pink Church”, St. John the Baptist isthe third iteration of a church to be built on this site. The first was destroyed by a hurricane in 1909, and the second burned in a fire just eight years later.
Travelers get a reprieve with a short six-minute drive from St. John the Baptist to St. Cyril and Methodius Catholic Church Dubina. Boasting a similar blue to St. Paul Lutheran, St. Cyril’s interior space is additionally magnified by several stark white domineering columns that extend from the floor to the ceiling, magnifying the blue ceiling and creating a sort of “clouds in the sky” effect.
TXPainted Church Tidbit: The church is topped with an iron cross constructed by Tom Lee, a freed slave and blacksmith.
St. Mary’s Church High Hill in Schulenberg is highlighted bya soaring and ornate altar configuration that is accentuated by beautiful stainglass windows on all sides.
TXPainted Church Tidbit: This is one of the first churches erected by famedTexas architect, Leo M.J. Dielmann. Dielmann would go on to design over 100churches across Texas, several of which are now on the National Register ofHistoric Places.
Less than 15 minutes from St. Mary’s High Hill, a Gothic revival-style chapel resides in Praha, TX by the name of – well – St. Mary!From one St. Mary to another, the Praha St. Mary has a bluish green ceiling andis also dominated by prominent columns. Swiss-born artist Gottfried Flury painted much of the interior utilizing a combination of stenciling, infill painting, and freehand techniques to bring the church’s worship space to life.
TXPainted Church Tidbit: Legend has it that – because this church stands so tall at over 130 feet above the ground – the town offered a keg of beer to whomever would be willing to climb to the top to place a cross. One man took up the offer and proceeded to not only place the cross successfully but also perform a handstand on top of it. The man had experience in placing steeples on top of churches, which helps explain his willingness to take the challenge. As they say, to the victor go the spoils – in this case a copious amount of beer!
One of the smallest and oldest churches on the route, the tiny structure’s worship space consists of a dark ceiling – much darker incolor than the previous entries – but is enlivened with a prominent chandelier-like hanging light fixture.
TXPainted Church Tidbit: The church doubled as a schoolhouse, and itsinterior was painted by Reverend and schoolteacher, Bohuslav Laciak, in 1889.Lack tragically died in a hunting accident before he could complete his ceiling design. To this day, visitors can see markings where he planned to finish the artwork.
