DUANE
Duane's take
Here's how the official marker tells it, and I'll carry it the rest of the way. Back in 1887, somebody in Houston made a decision that mattered — they founded St. Nicholas parish, the first Catholic church for Black Houstonians the city had ever seen.
They set it down at the corner of Chenevert and Lamar streets, right there in the heart of what would become the Third Ward, and that congregation put down roots that have held ever since. Now, a parish needs a building worthy of its purpose, and the one that stands today — designed by a man named Leo Diehlmann — wasn't completed until 1924. Nearly four decades after the founding, but when you see what Diehlmann put up, you understand they were waitin' on something worth the wait.
He gave them twin projecting towers — and here's where it gets interesting, because those two towers are not twins in the way you might expect. One stands taller, open belfry reaching up like it's got something to say to the sky. The other is lower, capped, quieter about it.
Between the corbelled brick detailing and those curvilinear parapets, this is a building that carries itself with intention. St. Nicholas parish is still an active part of Houston's Third Ward today — which means that decision made in 1887 is still standing, still holding, more than a century later.
Some things, you build to last.
What the marker says
Founded in 1887 as Houston's first Catholic church for blacks, St. Nicholas parish was located at the corner of Chenevert and Lamar streets. This building, designed by Leo Diehlmann, was completed in 1924. Prominent features include twin projecting towers-- one taller with an open belfry and one lower capped tower, corbelled brick detailing, and curvilinear parapets. St. Nicholas parish remains an important part of Houston's Third Ward. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1987