Discover Lavaca: Churches, History and Festivals

Lavaca offers travelers several ways to enjoy a stay focused on culture and history: restored architecture, museums, churches and events with a long tradition. The landscape can also be understood through two distinct waterways. You can decide which focus suits your trip by considering whether you are more interested in architecture, local history, music or regional cuisine.

Waterfront Landscapes

Rocky Creek rises in the northwest of Lavaca County near Shiner. The section of the Lavaca River above the tidal influence flows year-round. The county’s landscape therefore includes both a headwaters area and a permanently flowing stretch of river. The two rivers represent different features: Rocky Creek for its headwaters, and the Lavaca River for the flow of a particular stretch.

The Courthouse and Church Architecture

The Lavaca County Courthouse was built in 1899 and has been fully restored. Saints Cyril and Methodius Catholic Church is an outstanding example of Romanesque Revival architecture. Its distinctive features include stained-glass windows imported from Munich and a painted interior. This building brings architecture and decorative design together, while the courthouse represents a different facet of the county’s history.

Lavaca County is also home to several churches known as the “Painted Churches of Texas.” St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Moulton was built for the Catholic community of German and Czech immigrants. It was initially operated as a mission of the church in Hallettsville; in 1892, it became an independent parish. Its history connects the immigrant communities with a specific institutional development. Travelers interested in the region’s church history can explore a range of topics: architectural style and furnishings, the history of a community, and the development of a parish.

Museums and Historic Sites

The Edwin Wolters Memorial Museum is dedicated to preserving and interpreting the history of Shiner. The Lavaca Historical Museum tells the story of Czech and German settlers who immigrated to the region. The two museums therefore focus on different subjects: the history of a town in one case, and the region’s immigration history in the other.

Historic settlements and the evidence that remains of them are also among the county’s points of interest. Old Sweet Home was located along the old Spanish road between Houston and San Antonio. Today, only a cemetery and a few other remnants of the former settlement remain there. Geiger Cemetery is one of the area’s oldest cemeteries and one of the few surviving traces of a vanished community. The Ruins of Brushy Creek Church, meanwhile, are the remains of a church built between 1869 and 1876. Its construction used stone from Muldoon, pine milled in East Texas, and hand-hewn beams.

Richardson Chapel United Methodist Church was founded after emancipation by formerly enslaved members. Its history is another point of connection to African American history in the county. Taken together, these places complement the perspectives offered by museums and church buildings with the histories of settlements and communities.

Art, Music and Regional Cuisine

Hallet Oak Gallery is an arts and education center offering hands-on activities in science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM). Private and group tours are available by appointment. If you plan to visit, be sure to arrange your tour in advance.

At the Fiddlers' Frolics, fiddlers compete in several divisions for prize money and the state title. The festival began as a community event in Hallettsville and has brought together fiddlers from Texas and beyond for more than five decades. Another musical event is the Texas State Championship Straight Domino Tournament, held annually at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Hallettsville.

Food and drink also offer specific reasons to plan a trip. The South Texas Polka and Sausage Fest serves sausage, sauerkraut, potatoes, chicken noodle soup and kolaches. The K. Spoetzl Brewery in Shiner offers an interactive brewery tour. The K. Spoetzl Distillery offers a 45-minute visit that includes a tasting of various Shiner craft spirits. In Shiner, K. Spoetzl BBQ Co. serves Texas-style slow-smoked barbecue.

If you’re traveling for a particular festival, it’s a good idea to check the date in advance. That way, you can plan your stay around the event that interests you most and make the county’s cultural or historical attractions the focus of your trip.

Discover more destinations: Hallettsville, Medina County, Leon, Swisher County, Floyd County, Hill County, Rockwall, Pecos County.

For the broader travel overview: Texas.