Carmelite Monastery - Stanton, TX
Posted by: WalksfarTX
N 32° 08.002 W 101° 47.351
14S E 236883 N 3558626
Also known as Sisters of Mercy Convent. All that remains are the dormitory, ruins of the other buildings and the cemetery.
Waymark Code: WMRCTG
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 06/10/2016
Views: 3
Text of Historical Marker:
In 1882, six German friars from St. Boniface monastery in Scipio, Kansas, founded a new Carmelite monastery at Grelton Station, halfway between Fort Worth and El Paso on the Texas & Pacific Railroad. They renamed the station Marienfeld and established a German Catholic colony.
Under the leadership of Anastasius Peters, the Carmelites attracted immigrant farmers to the area, some of whom joined the religious order. In 1884, this building was constructed to serve as the living quarters for the friars; it was expanded in 1886. From here they journeyed all over west Texas and eastern New Mexico, ministering to the Catholic families in communities along the rail lines and starting new Catholic parishes.
Their work in Marienfeld had a direct impact on the town's development and on the formal organization of Martin County in 1884. In 1888, the Marienfeld Carmelites numbered 34, but severe drought during that period resulted in an economic depression that led to faltering support for the friars and the colony. By 1891, only five friars remained, and they left in 1901. In 1897, the Carmelites sold the monastery building to the Sisters of Mercy, who developed an academy on the site in 1898 and used this building for their living quarters and chapel.
Soon after a 1938 tornado swept through the complex, the Sisters of Mercy withdrew, and the property was sold. Built of adobe in the Gothic Revival style, the monastery features four-foot thick walls, a stone foundation, Gothic pointed-arch windows and a wraparound porch. It is the only building remaining from the Carmelite occupation of the site.
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 2000
Street address: 200 E. Carpenter St. Stanton, TX USA
County / Borough / Parish: Martin County
Year listed: 1999
Historic (Areas of) Significance: Event
Periods of significance: 1925-1949, 1900-1924, 1875-1899
Historic function: Religion
Current function: Vacant/Not it Use
Privately owned?: yes
Primary Web Site: [Web Link]
Secondary Website 1: [Web Link]
Season start / Season finish: Not listed
Hours of operation: Not listed
Secondary Website 2: Not listed
National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed
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Visit Instructions:
Please give the date and brief account of your visit. Include any additional observations or information that you may have, particularly about the current condition of the site. Additional photos are highly encouraged, but not mandatory.