Out 'n About

There are many unique towns in Central Texas that were settled by Czechs and Germans in the early to middle eighteen hundreds. These towns are usually known for their beautifully kept lawns, clean streets, quaint little shops and well preserved old buildings. These small towns are generally very friendly and inviting to strangers to stop and sit a spell.

Brenham is one of these lovely areas and fits the definition perfectly.

All Texans know Brenham is famous for its Blue Bell Ice Cream. The best in the entire world I might add (that's because of all the contented cows!).

Downtown Brenham is filled with lots of interesting shops and beautifully laid out streets. She is old but preserved so well that you can imagine yourself in a 1940's movie, as if the buildings were still new.

One of her most interesting buildings is the one belonging to the First Christian Church located  at 306 Cottonwood street. Pictured here, you can see the large round arched and lancet windows featured in the 106 year old Gothic Revival construction.

The elaborate tower dominates the front of the building as it overcasts the main entryway. Naturally, all the windows are of stained glass and the grounds are spotless and perfect. The congregation was organized in 1877 with 18 members. Missionaries A.J. Bush and W.J.Jones had come to the area along with many prominent Washington County settlers and made a great evangelistic impact on the community. By their efforts the 18 members decided to begin the church and worshiped at different locations until the permanent building could be built.  One can't help but notice the faith and patience of the little congregation because it was 12 years of waiting on the Lord for a stable setting for their worship services. It was in 1898 that local builder Alex Griffin constructed this magnificent example of the Gothic Revival style building. The church is in use today and is very active. In fact a very nice size group of ladies was meeting here on the morning of my visit to the location.

I was quite impressed with the condition of the building. We expect 106 years to take a pretty good toll. This building looks as though it had just been built recently. Each detail of it gives the impression of newness.