Houston: Heritage Society at Sam Houston Park

Gated entrance to a park with paved walkways into and around the fencing, two buildings visible behind the trees in the park

Entrance to Sam Houston Park (i_am_jim_CC BY-SA 3.0)

Photo taken in 1900 of groups of people in a park area. Visible is a wide walking path, a bridge over a creek, tall pine trees, and a hillside in the background

Sam Houston Park, 1900 (Special Collections, University of Houston Libraries)

Wood framed house painted yellow with green trim surrounded by a white picket fence

San Felipe Cottage

White wood framed church with a bell tower and steeple in front

St. John Church

In the shadows of some of Houston’s tallest skyscrapers stands a reminder of the city’s German heritage: St. John Church. Built in 1891 on Mangum Road by Harris County farmers from Germany and Switzerland, St. John offered Lutheran services in German until the 1930s.

In 1968, the church was moved eight miles southeast to its current location in Sam Houston Park. Take note of the cypress altar and pulpit, which is believed to predate the building itself. Also located in Sam Houston Park is the 1868 San Felipe Cottage, a great example of German vernacular architecture.

Heritage Society at Sam Houston Park

  • Hours: Daily, dawn to dusk
  • Admission: None. Fees apply for guided tours of structures
  • 1100 Bagby St., Houston, TX
  • 713-655-1912
  • Visit Website
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