DanevangThe Danish capital of Texas.HistoryBeginning
in 1894 100 Danish immigrant families who had originally settled
in the Midwest, bought various size parcels of land and moved to the
area of Texas about 75 miles Southwest of Houston and established the
community of Danevang. When they arrived they found flat land covered
with prairie grass that reached to the bottom of the wagons. At first
they tried to raise the same crops, such as wheat, oats, and barley
which they had grown in Denmark and in the Midwestern states, but soon
found the Texas climate was not suitable for these crops. Therefore
they had some very lean years, and some of the settlers sold out and
moved away. Those hardy souls who stayed in Danevang soon learned that
cotton was a better crop to be raised in that area. After the
farmers all converted to raising cotton, the community began to prosper
and has continued to be successful.
In the early years the Danish language was spoken throughout the community and the Danish traditions were maintained, such as observing the Danish holiday celebrations. Through the following years, English gradually became the primary language and the citizens of Danevang became Americanized. In 1993 a group of people with ties to Danevang, some still living there and some who had left the farms to make a living elsewhere, were discussing the history of the community and realized that the Danish heritage of Danevang was being lost. Some of those people got together and formed the Danish Heritage Preservation Society for the purpose of restoring and preserving that heritage. The Society purchased three acres of land from the church for a museum site. Two buildings have been moved to this site and a 6,100 square foot museum building has been built to resemble a Danish barn. In 1995 the Texas State Legislature proclaimed Danevang to be the Danish Capital of Texas.  Heritage MuseumThe
Heritage Museum is housed in a building constructed very much
like those built by the early settlers but including features
reminiscent of the barns of Denmark. Of course, the roof is
red. The museum houses artifacts of the early Danish settlement,
but also contains exhibits relating to the Viking culture as well as
exhibits pertaining to the agriculture of the area, weather
observation, and the historic Danish cemetery.
Danevang Danish Heritage Museum
153 CR 426 Danevang TX 77432 Hours Tuesday-Thursday and Saturday, Sunday 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. 979-578-0808 Small Admission fee. (Donation) Map of Danevang, TX US For more information please contact
Danish Heritage Preservation Society PO BOX 386 Danevang Texas 77432 (979) 578-0808 Danevang Churches
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| Lutheran Church |
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Map of Danevang, TX US
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© 2006 McClendon Enterprises All information on this site is copyright McClendon Enterprises unless otherwise noted.
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