St. John Lutheran church rises out of the prairie like a beacon north of Bartlett. Its red brick sanctuary is a striking feature of this rural landscape, visible for miles.
A state historic marker in front of the church shares its German roots with passers-by a follows:
"ST JOHN LUTHERAN CHURCH
The first Lutheran worship services in this area were held at the home of early German settler J.E. Pietzsch, who had moved from Austin County. In 1880 a small school and church building was erected on land donated by John Bartlett, for whom the nearby town of Bartlett was named.
St. John Lutheran Church was formally organized on December 16, 1883. A year later the Rev. Immanuel Glatzle arrived to become the first resident pastor. By 1896 the congregation had acquired more land and erected a small white frame sanctuary. All written records were destroyed in a 1922 fire which burned the parsonage and two outbuildings. Larger facilities were needed by 1931, so a new church structure was built that year. Dedication services were held January 10, 1932. On August 12, 1951, the congregation dedicated its new pipe organ, which at the time was the largest in any Texas Lutheran church.
From its beginning St. John Lutheran Church has served the spiritual and educational needs of the surrounding communities. Although the last German service was conducted in 1942, the church continues to reflect the ideals and traditions of its founders. (1983)"
Many of the German immigrants who founded this church are buried in the church's cemetery on the property.
More in the German roots of this congregation can be found in the church website: (
visit link)
"History Of St John
St. John Lutheran Church has been a landmark of faith in the area for generations.
The history of the congregation begins with the coming of Captain J. E. Pietzsch from Brenham in 1875. The Bartlett Tribune of April 14, 1916 records: "Mr. Pietzsch enjoys the distinction of being the first German in this section and it was his German friends and neighbors from Austin County that followed him here...
"His home was always open and for two years religious services were held in the Pietzsch home, the minister coming from Taylor and Waco once a month.
"In 1880, together with Captain John Bartlett, Elisha Allen, Gus Norman, Emil Albrecht and John Janke (he) erected a little building for a schoolhouse and church, on the hill north of town where now stands a modern Lutheran church and a separate building known as the German-English school."
The first three men listed, Bartlett, Allen and Norman, though not German, were among the nearest neighbors. The school was built on Bartlett's land.
From here the story is taken up by an article in the February 2, 1895 issue of a German church paper, the Lutherischer Gemeinde-Bote fur Texas (Lutheran Congregational Messenger for Texas). An English translation by the late Rev. H. C. Ziehe of Taylor:
"In 1881, when schools in this area were rare, a number of German people decided to establish a German school. They were J. E. Pietzsch, Daniel Lange, J. Janke, Emil Albrecht and Gottlieb Zschiesche. The funds for the building of the school house were raised by volunteer subscriptions; a number of neighboring Germans also participated. A number of businessmen in Taylor, the nearest town in those days, also contributed. John Bartlett gave two acres of land to be used for church purposes. The schoolhouse which was erected measured 20 feet by 24 feet."
1880 is evidently the correct year for construction of the little combination school and church house, as the present church cemetery was started behind the building that year. The first to be buried there was Mrs. Peter (Rosina Margaretha Fleischmann) Limmer. An infant son of Mr. and Mrs. A. G. Lindemann was also buried there in 1880.
The school was a public school in the same district with the Indian Creek School (later known as Kelso) which stood a few miles to the northwest in Elisha Allen's pasture.
Public school was held in the winter and spring with instruction in English, and a German language school (reading, writing, grammar) was held in summer. For this reason, the school become known as German-English School. Benches were first used for seating in the early schools, making them convenient for use for church services on Sundays when a minister was available.
The Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railroad was surveyed through the area in 1881 and that fall, John Bartlett and J. E. Pietzsch laid out the town of Bartlett and began a sale of lots. Rail services began over this line in September 1882 and brought a new influx of settlers. The article just quoted goes on to say, "This area experienced a considerable upswing...In the course of time, Lutheran families from Austin and Colorado counties settled here in larger numbers. Through the offices of Pastor Merz, Pastor Immnauel Glatzle was called to serve the congregation."
According to records of the Texas Synod, Pastor Glatzle began to conduct services here in November of 1883. The following month, on December 16, 1883, he organized a formal congregation, St. John Lutheran Church.
All of the congregation's written records were destroyed when the parsonage burned in 1922, but the Rev. Theodor Bogisch, in reconstructing the church records after the fire, recorded the following list of men as the organizers: Andrew Lindemann, Carl Lindemann, Gottlieb Zschiesche, Daniel Lange, F. A. W. Zschiesche and Gustav Steglich. These men, with their families as composed at the time, would have been the charter members. The congregation reported 17 members at the end of its first six months, and one baptism during that time.
The date of organization would have been lost had not a newspaper article on a church anniversary been preserved by one of the members. The Rev. Theodore R. Streng recorded in the church minutes in 1934:
"Since all the written records of the congregation were burned in the parsonage fire of 1922, little of the former history of our congregation is available in print. For the former data we are indebted to the Rev. Theo. Bogisch, who recorded them in the church book in 1926. We are also thankful for a clipping from the 'Kirchenblatt' of the year 1908 preserved by Mrs. F. F. Wolf, which gives the story of the 25th anniversary celebration of this congregation held on December 16, 1908, and which definitely states that the congregation was organized on December 16, 1883. This date had also been lost with former records, and no one seemed to know exactly the day or month of organization."
Once the congregation had been formally organized, Captain Bartlett deeded the two acres of land on which the schoolhouse and cemetery were already located to trustees D. Lange, A. G. Lindemann and Emil Albrecht, for the nominal consideration of one dollar. The deed, handwritten by Captain Bartlett, reads in part:
"This land is conveyed to the above mentioned parties and their successors as Trustees in trust for School and Church purposes, to have and to hold the same so long as it is occupied for the above mentioned purposes.
"Witness my hand this 24th day of May 1884. Jno T. Bartlett"
Pastor Glatzle also served two other congregations in other counties, and at first must have stayed with members of the congregation when preaching here, but in 1894 a parsonage was built. Again quoting the 1895 article:
"On October 28, Pastor Glatzle brought his young bride to the recently completed parsonage...
"The schoolhouse had become too small; in 1884 a 20 foot addition was made...in the course of time the interior of the rather bare place of worship was improved. The speaker's stand and the table received covers, lamps were provided, the glass and earthenware vessels used in the Sacrement were replaced with silver ones. The interior of the building was covered with smoothed boards and an organ was acquired."
The congregation soon purchased two additional parcels of land. On February 2, 1889, J. E. Pietzsch sold one acre of land to trustees A. G. Lindemann, C. Lindemann, N. Miihlhause, E. Albrecht and D. Lange for $25, and on March 29, 1893 John T. Bartlett and wife Mary sold two acres to the congregation for $250.
The following notice was published (in German) in the May 23, 1896 issue of the Lutheran Congregational Messenger for Texas:
"The Evangelical Lutheran St. John Congregation at Bartlett, Bell County, has voted to build a church: 28 feet by 69 feet and 16 feet high. Contractors are herewith kindly requested to submit plans and sketches together with descriptions and cost."
A beautiful white frame church was built on the present site. On December 16, 1896, the paper just quoted published this account of the church dedication, also translated by the Rev. Ziehe:
"An icy north wind swept across the prairie on November 8 as the St. John Congregation arranged to celebrate a long-awaited day of joy. For years the members had planned to build their little church, and now they had finally succeeded. In a stately and worthy fashion it stood there on the given day. A slender tower of fine lines, 64 feet high, rises above the 60 foot long nave of 28 feet breadth, with an extended sanctuary. Upon entering by the front door, over which there is a richly ornamented rose, one's eyes are fixed upon the sanctuary. There, along pure architectural form, the pulpit rises above the altar; both are adorned with black brocade velvet with emblems, and an arch encircles it all...truly an uplifting and festive sight...the nave is furnished with light-varnished pews, of practical and comfortable construction. To the left of the entrance is a room for mothers and infants--a practical idea, to the right is the stair-room leading to the choir loft. A soft and pleasant light is shed on all through high, Gothic windows made of colored glass. The walls have a four foot high wainscoting; above paper."
"The new bell, a gift of the young women of the congregation, bears the inscription: 'The Virgin'. The entire building and its furnishing cost the congregation $2,000. The church was built by Henry Struve, architect from Taylor. On Sunday morning the congregation assembled in the schoolhouse, where till now worship services have been conducted. The pastor of the congregation, Pastor John Doerfler, delivered a farewell address. Those present then walked in procession to the new church. At the entrance, the future pastor of the congregation, Pastor William Schumacher, led in prayer. Pastor Doerfler unlocked the door. The deacons carried the sacred vessels and set them on the altar. The men's choir then initiated the service with: 'This is the Day of the Lord.' Pastor Doerfler led in the rite of dedication assisted by three other pastors. Pastor A. H. Litterman preached the sermon. Pastor Doerfler read the history of the congregation. After the men's choir had rendered: 'The Chapel,' a child was baptized. Pastor Doerfler provided the address and conducted the Order of Confession; the celebration of Holy Communion concluded the morning service. In the afternoon Pastor W. Pfennig spoke on the value of family worship in the home, Pastor J. Mgebroff spoke on mission work."
After the church was built, the Texas Synod met here in 1897 and again in 1908. Also in 1908, the church building was renovated inside and out, and the congregation celebrated its 25th anniversary. The Bartlett Tribune of December 8, 1908 reported:
"On December 16, the 25th anniversary of the German Lutheran Church of Bartlett will be celebrated by the members of the congregation. There will be services both morning and evening and dinner served on the grounds, to which all are cordially invited."
The Rev. Theodor Bogisch, who came as a pastor in June 1916, had a profound and lasting influence on the congregation. In short order, he organized a Luther League (July 2, 1916), a Ladies' Aid Society (July 10, 1016), and a church choir (July 1916), all of which were active for many years. On November 18, 1917, he dedicated the present altar purchased as a remembrance of the 400th anniversary of the Reformation. The present baptismal font is also believed to have been acquired at this time, and is believed to have been a gift of the late W. R. Janke Sr.
In 1888, St. John had been the 37th congregation to be affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Texas, which later became the Texas District of the Iowa Synod, and in 1930, the Texas District of the American Lutheran Church. During the pastorate of the Rev. Bogisch, St. John served as headquarters for the Texas District when he served as president of the district--the euivalent of Bishop now.
The original parsonage, which had been enlarged in 1906, was destroyed by fire August 31, 1922; a new parsonage was immediately built on the same site by Karl L. Flick of Taylor, formerly of Bartlett, at a cost of $5,000.
As the German term of German-English School was a private course taught under the auspices of the congregation, and since all church services and preaching were done in German, the German course gradually came to be regarded as a part of confirmation instruction, taught by the pastor. In 1930, the Rev. R. C. Albert was called as pastor with the understanding that he would hold some services in English on a regular basis. The Rev. Albert continued to teach the German course but after he left, in 1933 the German course was dropped and replaced with a six week Vacation Bible School. Council minutes continued to be written in German until 1940. Church services continued to alternate between German and English, with German services held at least once a month, until April 12, 1942, when German services were eliminated upon recommendation of the church council. After that, all services were in English each Sunday.
The Rev. Albert is remembered not only as the first pastor of the congregation to preach in English, but also as the pastor under whose leadership the present church building was constructed.
The effort to build a larger church actually began under the Rev. Bogisch. The old church had perhaps a seating capacity of little over 150, while the active membership had grown to probably more than double that. The Bartlett Tribune of June 15, 1928 reported:
"At a quarterly meeting of the congregation of St. John Lutheran Church...it was decided to build a modern brick structure to cost about $35,000 with a seating capacity of 600. Work will probably not begin on the new building before next summer. However, one half of the required money has already been subscribed and various committees appointed are at work securing the remainder of the funds. . . ."