Commission forwards National Register opinion for St. Augustine of Hippo Episcopal Church

The Galveston Landmark Commission voted April 21 to adopt a resolution forwarding its opinion on the National Register nomination for St. Augustine of Hippo Episcopal Church to the Texas Historical Commission for review.

Staff explained that, as a certified local government (CLG), the commission must review National Register nominations and forward its opinion to the Texas Historical Commission's National Register program. Staff provided a draft nomination and a draft resolution and said the State Board of Review will consider the nomination on May 17.

Robin Lowry, speaking on behalf of the congregation’s revitalization efforts, thanked the commission and described the congregation’s hope that the designation will help the community recognize the church’s role. “This church is…a beacon of light and hope for the community,” Lowry said.

Steph McDougall, the primary author of the nomination, addressed a question about the level of significance and explained that while local sources and the Episcopal Diocese of Texas recognize the church as the first Black Episcopal church in the state, the nomination was submitted at the local level because published academic corroboration required for state‑level significance was not available. “It's become increasingly difficult to nominate anything at the state level unless you have corroborating evidence that's been published in an academic journal or a book,” McDougall said.

The commission adopted the resolution according to staff recommendation by voice vote; no opposition was voiced during the hearing.