The Church of the Visitation, in Westphalia, Texas

Westphalia, Texas

Westphalia is a small unincorporated German community in Falls County, Texas, United States located 35 miles south of Waco on state highway 320. Westphalia has a strong Catholic background. The Church of the Visitation was, until recently, the largest wooden church west of the Mississippi River...

, was once the largest wooden structure west of the Mississippi River

Mississippi River

The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...

. This Catholic church, completed in 1895, has twin towers which can be seen for miles. A school was constructed in 1896 and operated as a parochial school

Parochial school

A parochial school is a school that provides religious education in addition to conventional education. In a narrower sense, a parochial school is a Christian grammar school or high school which is part of, and run by, a parish.-United Kingdom:...

 until 1935.

The church received official recognition with the erection of an official Texas Historical Marker on December 31, 1978. On May 15, 1996, the community was recognized as a Rural Historic District. The district is now listed in the National Register of Historic Places

National Register of Historic Places

The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...

.