St. Dominic's Church -- D'Hanis Historic District -- D'Hanis TX
N 29° 19.645 W 099° 15.556
14R E 474827 N 3244289
The ruins of the St. Dominic Church are listed as a contributing building to the US National Register D'Hanis Historic District
Waymark Code: WMPH5Y
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 08/31/2015
Views: 4
The ruins of the St. Dominic Church, organized soon after the town was founded in 1847, are listed on the US National Register as a contributing structure to the D'Hanis Historic District.
From the National Register Nomination form on file with the Texas Historical Commission: (
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"Old D'Hanis is a rural community 25 miles west of Castroville, which represents the original townsite of Henri Castro's fourth colony. Just south of Highway 90 is an area of several blocks on which are located 17 architecturally significant structures dating primarily from the mid to late 1800s, six historical buildings which have been remodeled and four modern structures. The sites of 22 historic buildings which have been destroyed in the 20th century are also included on the sketch map, in order to show the density of the original townsite. The land is basically flat and Parker's Creek meanders along the western border of the district.
. . . .
Old D'Hanis was the fourth colony founded by empresario, Henri Castro in Medina County. First settled in 1847, the town consisted primarily of Alsatian immigrants. The D'Hanis Historic District represents one of the best examples of an 1850-80 European colonial village in Texas, for a number of the homes built during this period, as well as the original plan of the community, remain intact with few intrusions. The railroad bypassed old D'Hanis in 1881 and established a depot about a mile from the city. Taking even the name of the old community, new D'Hanis drew the majority of the population and the commercial activity from the old townsite. The fact that the original town declined in the late 19th century accounts for the large number of extant structure, and the few intrusions. The village remains as a visual link with Medina County's l9th century colonization period.
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1. ST. DOMINIC's CHURCH
A two-story simple rubble stone structure with Gothic Revival features was built in 1868 to house St. Dominic's Church. The main (west) facade contained a pointed arched central double door with a double hung 6/6 light window located above the entrance. Rising from the gable pitch was a wood frame belfry containing two pointed arched openings on each of the four sides and capped by a pyramidal roof and crucifix. The north and south facades contain five lancet windows separated into bays by wall buttresses. At the rear an 1853 stone chapel was incorporated into the structure. Presently, the church is in ruinous condition. Since the building was abandoned in 1915, probably much of the material fabric was removed for use in other buildings. The church has deteriorated to the point that only the shell of the original structure remains.
Northeast of the church is the old D'Hanis cemetery with early wrought-iron and hand carved stones. The cemetery was used from 1847 to 1896."