Gethsemane Lutheran Church, Austin, Texas
historic place
Gethsemane Lutheran Church, in Austin, Travis County, originated with Swedish immigrants. The congregation formed in 1868, becoming Austin's first Lutheran church and Texas's first Swedish Lutheran church. The present Gothic Revival building was constructed in 1883. Its buff brick exterior was salvaged from the 1881 Texas State Capitol fire, and the main doors came from the University of Texas at Austin's Old Main building. In 1940, Luther Hall was built adjacent. The church was designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1962 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970. After the congregation relocated in 1961, the State of Texas acquired the property. Today, Gethsemane Lutheran Church houses offices for the Texas Historical Commission, preserving its architectural and religious history.