Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1927-11-13
MANY EDIFICES
ADDDICNITYTO
VALLEY CITIES
Followers Of All Faiths
Find Haven of Wor-
ship in Beautiful
Valley Structures

~
Ions or community progress have
in Valley building activities the
81 year.
From Mission to Brownsville 2
urches raise their spires 20 the
les, evidence Of the progressive
nit Of the Valley people. their de-
ton to their respective faiths, and
PR determination to inculate IN the
lure generations and preserve in
! Valley that spirit Of religious
servance which has been the. bull
Of American civilization.
the past year Valley COM
have erected eighteen new
arches, representing an invest
int exceeding $500, 900 a record
Rt is without parallel in the South.
ny Of these are commodious, beau
structures designed 70 replace
# buildings used by congregations
|& during the pioneer days Of Val
development erected small
|ch homes. sufficient for the
population Of that period. Gut
passing years have brought 70
Lower Rio Grande Valley
Eierful development. Communi-
have grown and thrived. The
and for more and larger
Fches 70 supply the increasing
~kregations became insistent, and
result has been an era OF church
ding that has placed the Valley
he front rank. Many Of these
IN ctures have been financed with
III outside aid. A number OF them
paid for before the founda-
was laid, the congregations dor
Dc generously 70 erect churches
would serve for years TO come.
Erect Beautiful Structures
townsville and H%arIingen have
in church construction the past
III. In Brownsville the Presbyter-
congregation have an $4,000
ding under construction which
be completed in November. The
scopal congregation has com
ted q $4,000 structure. and the
Nj Catholic church for tho city ~
Nring completion in Victoria
uhts. The latter building will
ii $4,000. The Baptists q few
|nths ago completed a $65,0Oo
|~ucture. making a total Of 100000
III new churches in the city.
IL Harrington the M~ethodists have
hpleted a $4,000 structure, and
! BaptiSts invested an equal
count IN their new church home.
Q Christian church, erected at q
Il az $4,000, brings the total for
n city 10 $4,000. At Edinburg
} Methodists have erected a $685.
! building, and the Baptists eX-
hdcd SIS. 600 for their structure
e Mission and McAllen Catholic
ngregations have erected churches
a cost Of $4,000 and $4,000 re-
actively. Other structures include.
salon. Methodist, $35. 900; Fharr,
|iscopal. $4,000; Weslaco, Bap-
\. 5000; San Benito. Baptist,
1000; Lyford, Swedish Luthern,
1000; Raymondville. Presbyterian,
boo; Alamo Lutheran. $4,000.
smaller structures have
In erected 10 serve congregations
1.-The new towns az the Valley; and
hC1ncement has been made By sew
Ii congregations that they expect
0nrect new churches within a year.
he construction Of new churches
been marked by intensification
Ahurch work In practically all Val
IL communities. Practically all the
structures are Of the most
brn type, providing facilities for
various organizations Of the
n. which has had a tendency 20
= larger interest in all branches
urch work.
rat Churches nc Brownsville
I first church on the lower bor-
vas organized AZ Brownsville IN
when the Oblate Fathers, a
III Catholic order formed q
kregation and erected a small
N. In 1854 the foundation for
2~present cathedral-the church
4 immaculate tOncepcion-wAs
but the building was not com
until 1860.
first Protestant congregation
Organized az Brownsville BY the
opal denomination IN 1882, and
hurch Of the Advent was erected
Feyenth aud Washington streets.
churcn was later destroyed In a
M. and a second was erected and
Il cd the congregation fifty years.
new church If the Advent, on
#abeth and West First streets. has
II been completed, and "a q struc-
X Of SURPRISING beauty.
. the early fiftics the P~rcshyter-
Is organized "a congregation az
.ownsville. holding their meetings
the homes Of members and IN such
hlic buildings rs could be utilized.
neral Robert r.. Lee. who was
at Fort Brown several
,rs prior 20 the Civil War, was
! Of the most active OF the early
Of the little congregation.
1870 the congregation erected d
irch on Ninth and Elizabeth. which
| been used over fifty years. The
nomination now has n beautiful
flee under construction on Eliza
n and Palm Boulevard.
The Methodists and Baptists also
Il established in the Valley at
evansville. congregations az these
nominations being formed at var
! times since the Civil War. and
ally establishing permanent or
,ixatiens and erected churches.
! Brownsville Methodists erected
beautiful church in 1924. and the
completed a new church in
&.
Catholics Establish School
rhe Catholic congregation ne
evansville grew rapidly during the
RS preceding the Civil War. and
proyidc educational facilities.
ally lacking. &he Convent Of the
Word for girls was es-
.liahed BY = French order with
nc Lyons. France. the
eonvent being built in 1853. In
D -. Joseph's college for boys WAS
nhlished by the 0blate Fathers.
since that time several parochini !