The church denotes the introduction of the Gothic Revival style to the border. It was built by Father Kéralum of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, a newly arrived French order of priests that came to dominate the parishes and chapels of the communities and ranches of the north bank of the lower Rio Grande. The narrow nave, demolished and uninspiringly replaced in the 1960s, was built of sandstone, while its tower—still the preeminent visual feature in the plaza—was constructed in brick (c. 1884), the material that came to dominate the built environment of the region.
You are here
Tower, Our Lady of Refuge Church
If SAH Archipedia has been useful to you, please consider supporting it.
SAH Archipedia tells the story of the United States through its buildings, landscapes, and cities. This freely available resource empowers the public with authoritative knowledge that deepens their understanding and appreciation of the built environment. But the Society of Architectural Historians, which created SAH Archipedia with University of Virginia Press, needs your support to maintain the high-caliber research, writing, photography, cartography, editing, design, and programming that make SAH Archipedia a trusted online resource available to all who value the history of place, heritage tourism, and learning.