FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 8, 2008
CONTACT: Molly Dannenmaier
Director of Marketing and Public Relations,
409-765-7834
molly.dannenmaier@galvestonhistory.org

Don’t Miss Galveston’s 13th Annual Tour of Sacred Places Tomorrow, Saturday, February 9

Galveston’s 13th annual Sacred Places Tour takes place tomorrow, Saturday, February 9. This year the tour features 10 historic places of worship, a historic cemetery and a meditative labyrinth. The tour takes place from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Saturday, February 9 and will include a 9 a.m. and a 1 p.m. lecture on “The Preservation of Historic Cemeteries and Monuments” by Fran Gale at St. Joseph’s Church, 2202 Avenue K. Gale is a nationally known scholar and consultant on conservation of architectural materials, and director of the Architectural Conservation Laboratory at the University of Texas School of Architecture.

Advance tickets for the tour are $7 and may be purchased online at www.galvestonhistory.org. GHF members may purchase tickets for $6 at the Heritage Visitors Center at Ashton Villa, 2328 Broadway. Pre-reserved group rates are $6 per person for 20 or more tickets. On the day of the tour tickets may be purchased for $8, or $7 for members, at St. Joseph’s Church, 2202 Avenue K.

The popular tour benefits GHF’s ongoing restoration of St. Joseph’s Church, the oldest wooden church building in Galveston and the oldest German Catholic church in Texas. Closed in 1968 by the Houston Galveston Archdiocese, the church is managed by Galveston Historical Foundation and preserved as an ecumenical museum celebrating Galveston’s rich religious heritage.

As always, a wide range of religious traditions and building styles will be featured, showcasing the surprising depth and range of sacred architecture that exists in Galveston.

The sacred places on the tour include:

Moody Memorial Methodist Church
53rd and Avenue U

Founded in 1841, the original chapel was located at 22nd and Church Street. A new building, designed in the International style, derived chiefly from European precedents, was erected in 1962 at the present site.

Saint Augustine of Hippo Episcopal Church
1410 41st Street

The church was founded in 1884 at the urging of seamen from the West Indies. The original building stood at 22nd and Broadway but was destroyed by the great storm of 1900. A new building was erected in 1902, and moved to the current site in 1940.

Saint Paul’s Methodist Church
1427 Broadway

St. Paul’s grew out of a split in the congregation of Reedy Chapel, the original Methodist church for slaves in Galveston. Established in 1866, the congregation of St. Paul’s remains strong, with over 150 members, several of whom are descendants of the original congregation.

Saint Patrick Roman Catholic Church
34th and Avenue K

Famous architect, Nicholas J. Clayton, designed this impressive church. The cornerstone was laid on St. Patrick’s Day, March 17, 1872. Clayton, who was known throughout Texas for his church designs, was a member of the parish.

Galveston Bible Church
427 19th Street

A simple example of Mission style architecture, the building was erected in 1924 as the Salvation Army Chapel. The congregation was originally founded in 1975 as a Believer’s Fellowship, a small group of Christians who assembled in a succession of meeting places until 1987 when they purchased the building.

Swedish Lutheran Church
18th and Market

Founded in 1882, the church was originally known as the Swedish Lutheran Zion Church of Galveston Texas. This is the first year the church has ever been opened to the public as part of the Sacred Places tour.

Ursuline Chapel
2601 Avenue N

The Ursuline presence in Galveston dates back to 1847. This chapel was built in 1964, after tornadoes spawned by Hurricane Carla destroyed the original structures in 1961. The chapel contains relics of an earlier day.

Saints Constantine and Helen Serbian Orthodox Church
4109 Avenue L

This is the oldest Eastern Orthodox church in Texas and the second oldest Serbian Orthodox church in the United States. In 1933, the Greek Orthodox worshippers separated and formed their own congregation. The church was rededicated in 1951 and in 1962 became an official member of the Serbian Orthodox Diocese on the United States.

Grace Episcopal
1115 36th Street

Established as a Sunday School Mission of Trinity Episcopal Church in 1874, Grace became a parish in its own right two years later. Parishioners originally worshipped in a small frame building. The present Gothic limestone structure, designed by Nicholas J. Clayton, was erected in 1895.

Sacred Heart Catholic Church
1302 Broadway

Sacred Heart was first established in 1854 as an educational institution for young men. Parishioners at first worshipped in a temporary frame chapel. The original church building was designed by noted Galveston architect Nicholas J. Clayton and dedicated in 1892. It was destroyed in the 1900 hurricane. The current structure, in Moorish and Gothic style, replaced Clayton’s French Romanesque building in 1904. It is the only Roman Catholic church in the United States built in this style. Today’s church houses the only five artifacts that could be salvaged from the 1892 building.

Rosewood Cemetery
63rd Street, off Seawall, behind Comfort Inn

Rosewood was the first burial ground in Galveston designated exclusively for African Americans. Founded in 1911, cemetery records indicate there are 411 graves within the 8-acre site, although headstones only exist today for 20. The last known burial was in 1944.

The Rotary Labyrinth & Meditation Garden, The William Temple Episcopal Center
427 Market

Built in 2001, and donated by the Rotary Club of Galveston, the stone labyrinth helps provide for the spiritual needs of healthcare practitioners, students and patients at the University of Texas Medical Branch.

For more information, call (409) 762-3933.