January 24, 2023

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The Friends of the Texas Historical Commission partners with the Texas Historical Commission to preserve and promote the real places and real stories of Texas, including our state historic sites.?Register now for upcoming free online programs that tell these stories.?

The Painted Churches of Texas

Many Czech and German communities created reflections of their former homelands when they immigrated to Texas in the 1800s, notably through language, customs, and what became known as the Painted Churches. In 1983, fifteen of these exceptional examples of architecture and artistry were listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Echoing the great cathedrals and churches that nurtured their faith in the Old World, these special places, which are concentrated in the central part of Texas, are some of the state?s highest expressions of design and worship.

Participants in an upcoming webinar will learn about the congregations, architects, artists, and artwork of several of the Painted Churches, focusing on four near Schulenburg in the communities of Dubina, High Hill, Praha, and Ammannsville.

Join us as we host Bob Brinkman, staff member of the Texas Historical Commission since 2001 and coordinator of the Historical Markers program, as he guides us through the artistic surprises of painted churches of Texas.?

The Problem of Slavery in Mexican Texas

By the late 1810s, a global revolution in cotton had remade the U.S.-Mexico border, bringing wealth and waves of Americans to the Gulf Coast while also devastating the lives and villages of Mexicans in Texas. In response, Mexico threw open its northern territories to American farmers in hopes that cotton could bring prosperity to the region. Following Stephen F. Austin, thousands of Anglo-Americans poured into Texas?but their efforts to bring slavery with them (as the engine that made 19th-century cotton so profitable) sparked pitched battles across Mexico. An alliance of Anglos and Mexicans in Texas came together to defend slavery against abolitionists in the Mexican government, beginning a series of fights that shaped Texas in powerful ways during the road to the Texas Revolution.

Join us to hear about this fascinating part of Texas history from Andrew J. Torget, historian of 19th-century North America at the University of North Texas, where he holds the University Distinguished Teaching Professorship. An award-winning speaker, he has been featured at Harvard, Stanford, Rice, Duke, Johns Hopkins, and the Library of Congress.?

Additional Events at State Historic Sites

• Jan. 26:?History At Night?Frontier Naturalists in Austin's Colony: Exploring the Landscape of Two Texas Revolutions, San Felipe de Austin, San Felipe
• Jan. 29:?Texas Revolution Touch Table: Hold History in Your Hand, San Jacinto Museum, La Porte
• Feb. 4:?Cooking Class, Magoffin Home, El Paso
• Feb. 4-5:?Cooking in the Quarter, Barrington Plantation, Washington