The Carmelite Monastery was established in the early 1880s by a small group of Carmelite friars arriving from Kansas in order to create a German Catholic community in west Texas. Originally naming the town Marienfeld, the colony flourished for several years, but by 1888 drought and sandstorms caused many settlers to abandon Martin County. The Sisters of Mercy later occupied and then purchased the building during the 1890s, operating an academy that educated children in Stanton and as far away as New Mexico and Oklahoma until it closed in 1938. Today the 1884 monastery is the colony’s only remaining building. Its Gothic pointed windows and thick adobe walls strikes a blend of Southwest building style and European architecture. The building is also a standing legacy of the west Texas pioneering spirit in the face of hardship and misfortune.

Watch our Religious and Ethnic Diversity in German Texan Communities video to learn more about German Texan cultural heritage in Texas. This video was produced for inclusion in our German Texans mobile tour found in our Texas Time Travel Tours mobile app. Download the app for more videos and travel information: