Built in 1876, the former Evangelical Lutheran Church of Dessau was founded by a community of several German immigrant families in 1854 which held mass in German up until the 1940’s.
History of Dessau, TX
The Dessau community was settled in the 1850’s by German immigrants. The names of some of the early settlers were Martin Wieland and his two brothers, Fritz and Albert, and sister Hermine, Gustav Grosskopf, Fritz Krueger, Andrew Krueger, Willie Hennig, Carl Nauert, Christian Nehring, Frederick Goerlitz, and Mr. Schwartzkopf. They named the community after the German Duchy Anhalt-Dessau where Martin Wieland grew up. Dessau was founded in 1854 and what’s left of it is twelve miles north of Austin, and 2 miles SW of Pflugerville.
Does Dessau Still Exist?
The town of Dessau has been swallowed up by Austin’s urban sprawl. The main remaining landmark is the Dessau Hall, a dancehall building at the intersection of Dessau and Howard, which played host to such notables as Bob Wills and a 20-year old, not-yet-famous Elvis Presley on St. Patrick’s Day, 1955. Interestingly, before Elvis made that appearance at the dance hall, he attended a service here in this church! (I’ll bet that made his mama proud.)
Early Worship
Soon after their arrival in the 1850’s, these German families began to conduct prayer meetings and bible studies in their homes. They alternated between each other’s homes until the early 1870’s when they formed a Lutheran congregation and built this church. The church and the parsonage were built in 1876. The construction of the building was made possible by the labor and materials furnished by the members of the congregation and other settlers in the community.
Construction Begins
The construction was supervised by one of the early settlers, Fritz Krueger. (No relation to the Kruger’s from the Kruger Farm also here at Pioneer Farms.)
In 1877, two more acres were added to expand the cemetery and to build a schoolhouse. The first burials were in 1874. Church services were conducted in German until 1940. After 118 years the congregation disbanded in 1994.
The original church building faced east and was at the top of a hill. (It now faces South.) The Dessau Lutheran Cemetery was directly in front of the church. Many of the early settlers and their descendants are buried in the cemetery which has over 200 graves.
This church was used for services, as a school, and as a community gathering place at the edge of what was once Texas’ frontier. Its bell for decades was rung to deliver news to the Dessau community — for births, deaths, weddings and fires.
Architectural Features
The sanctuary typifies an iconic architectural style among rural church-builders during the 1800s — one room, tall ceiling, Gothic-style peak arched windows, wood-frame construction, significant design details of the period, and a bell tower topped with a stylized Christian cross. Most of the church appears to be the original construction, except for an addition to the front and a new belfry that were completed in the 1890s. The pews, altar, pulpit and other period furnishings remain, as do crosses, a communion service and a baptismal pitcher and bowl.
Why Was It Moved?
Lack of proper funding for expensive, continuing maintenance caused the building to slowly deteriorate and endangered its future as encroaching development, vandalism and break-ins became a growing menace. Its parsonage, school and outbuildings long gone, the church was now surrounded by apartments and impending commercial development.
Pioneer Farms agreed to relocate and restore the church so that its history, as well as the experiences of the people who built it and worshipped here can be shared with visitors to the farm. This church stands as a testament of the importance of faith in 1800s Texas, a key element of the social structure during the 19th century. It will also allow the Dessau Lutheran Cemetery Association to focus its limited financial resources on maintaining and protecting an adjacent historic cemetery. The church was moved to this location in late 2021.
