Vereins Kirche Keeps Current with Exhibits, Activities

The Vereins Kirche is a unique landmark in the center of downtown Fredericksburg.

The octagonal building is owned and operated by the Gillespie County Historical Society.

The Vereins Kirche recently underwent a major renovation in 2020 and now includes a brand-new exhibit.

Exhibits for the Vereins Kirche

The new permanent exhibit in the Vereins Kirche, 1847 to the Present, tells the history of the two Vereins Kirchen, the original and the replica.

The story of the Vereins Kirche begins with the immigration of Germans to Texas in the 1840s. From there, six of the eight walls are each dedicated to the story of the Vereins Kirche fitting into the wall’s overarching theme. Each wall contains information about the Vereins Kirche, Fredericksburg, and the state of Texas.

The new interpretation has themes of “Arrival in Texas,” “Building the Vereins Kirche,” “Learning,” “Worshiping,” “Meeting,” and “Preserving.”

Local artists, Lee and Matt Casbeer created paintings that line the top of the building depicting different scenes through the buildings’ history.

The final panel explains the history of the Gillespie County Historical Society, who have been the stewards of the replica since 1935. Owned and managed by the Gillespie County Historical Society, the Vereins Kirche on Marktplatz in downtown Fredericksburg tells the story of this iconic building.

History

The original Vereins Kirche served as the town’s first church, school and public meeting place and lookout building for protection against invaders.

The replica of the Vereins Kirche was used as a library, home to the Fredericksburg Chamber of Commerce, a one-day post office and a museum.

The original Vereins Kirche, or Society Church, was used primarily as a church and school for all denominations.

School districts were created in Gillespie County in the 1850s and students were no longer using the Vereins Kirche. As with the school, church congregations began building their own churches in town and slowly leaving the Vereins Kirche empty most days.

Submitted photo

By the 50th anniversary in 1896, the stone walls were removed to make the Vereins Kirche a pavilion for the celebration. The building was torn down in 1897 as it had fallen into disrepair.

For many years, local citizens had the vision of building a replica of the Vereins Kirche.

In 1935, the Gillespie County Historical Society received their charter and began working to rebuild the Vereins Kirche as a pioneer memorial. Fundraising by citizens and help from the New Deal Works Progress Administration supported the building of the Vereins Kirche. A celebration was held in May 1935 and the Vereins Kirche Pioneer Memorial was officially opened.

The first use of the new Vereins Kirche was to house Pioneer Memorial Library and a small historical museum. The first exhibits included memorabilia and collectibles from the early pioneer days.

When the Gillespie County Historical Society purchased the Kammlah Homestead in 1955, most of their artifacts were moved and displayed in the Kammlah House while a small exhibit space remained in the Vereins Kirche.

In 1967, after the second courthouse was refurbished by Eugene and Margaret McDermott of Dallas, Pioneer Memorial Library left the Vereins Kirche and took up residence in the McDermott Building where it remains today.

For a few years, part of the Vereins Kirche was home to the Fredericksburg Chamber of Commerce, with GCHS exhibit space occupying some of the building. It was during this time that the GCHS began archiving and organizing its collection.

When the Chamber moved out of the Vereins Kirche, the space became an area for the GCHS Archives and Collections (now located at the GCHS offices in the Historic First Methodist Church at 312 West San Antonio Street).

A depiction of the MeusebachComanche Treaty painted by Lucy Meusebach Marschall in the 1920s hangs in the Vereins Kirche.

Hours of Operation:

The Vereins Kirche is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. six days a week, Monday through Saturday, closed on Sundays. Admission to the Vereins Kirche is $2.50 for adults and $1 for children ages 6-12, 5 and under free.