Sunday, April 7, 2019

History of New Sweden Road Church aka New Sweden Methodist Church in Manor, Texas.

New Sweden Road Church aka New Sweden Methodist Church is one of the forgotten churches of Manor and Travis County. Not too much else is known about New Sweden School during its activity as a church. Mixerr Reviews explores the history of New Sweden Road Church in this news article.


A small settlement called New Sweden, Texas (New Sweden, TX) decided to replace their old church building in 1915. The old church building being replaced was the New Sweden Road Church aka New Sweden Methodist Church. Services were held in the New Sweden Lutheran Church on New Sweden Church Road during construction of a church building.

In 1916, a church building was constructed at the site of 12177 New Sweden Church Road in the New Sweden community and settlement of Manor, Texas New Sweden Church Road in Manor, Texas. The church was a bright yellow colored building located west of New Sweden Lutheran Church. New Sweden Road Church served the near the New Sweden community and settlement along with Manor & Manda.

In 1942, the Austin American-Statesman newspaper credited and condemned Henry Munson, Albert Munson, Victor Bengston, Martin Anderson, Albin Holmburg, and Edwin Berggren as active honorary pallbearers from New Sweden Lutheran Church. They were active in church services and the New Sweden School Board as well as Manda School Board. They served on the Board of Deacons of the Church.

From a February 26, 1933 radio program ran by Texas Extended School and Community Health Education Program for New Sweden School states the following.: “The first pupil school in this community was held in the old New Sweden Lutheran Church (the church that was is where the cemetery is now at FM 973 and New Sweden Church Road)…… the present two room school was erected in the summer and fall of 1915…. this building was made possible by a bond issue voted by the community in the spring of that year.”

In 1960, church attendance was 25 churchgoers every Sunday. Throughout the 1960s, church attendance was 25 to 35 churchgoers. Religious services were held at this church. This church also a community center.


New Sweden Road Church (New Sweden Methodist Church) was never really a financial success. Money was always tight for this church. Church attendance was 25 to 35 churchgoers every Sunday. Although attendance for New Sweden Road Church was never very high, their attendance rate was 25 to 35 churchgoers every Sunday.

Church attendance was rather low as the church was never popular with the community due to the fact that the more success and prominent New Sweden Lutheran Church had more attendees using their facilities up to the road.

So New Sweden Road Church closed in 1986 thus being coming vacant. New Sweden Road Church was left abandoned in 1988. The bright yellow colored building of New Sweden Road Church collapsed even further into the ground after years of vacancy in 2018.

New Sweden Road Church was located at 12177 New Sweden Church Road, Manor, Texas, US 78653. Postal address for New Sweden Road Church was 12178 New Sweden Church Road, Manor, Texas, US 78651.

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