— Anyone who has lived in Texas for a while will have heard of the Fayette County painted churches. Located in central Texas, these churches are within a short drive from Austin and San Antonio. The term painted churches comes from the fact that these churches have elaborate faux finish interiors. From the distance the interiors look like gold-leafed, stone and polished marble columns and ceilings. However, as you approach this magnificent work, you can see that everything is beautifully crafted woodwork. What is more amazing is that the work has not lost its brilliance through the years. For example, the photo above is St. John the Baptist Catholic Church altar in Ammannsville. The church and its school opened in 1890 and was destroyed by a hurricane in 1909. After being rebuilt, it was once again destroyed by fire and once more rebuilt. In addition to St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, the other three painted churches are St. Mary’s Catholic Church (in High Hill), Saints Cyril and Methodius Catholic Church (in Dubina) and St. Mary’s Catholic Church (in Praha). All four are open to the public and still in use.
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