Serbin: A Wendish Settlement That Still Stands in Lee County

The Wends were a Slavic people from Lusatia who came to Texas seeking religious freedom. Led by Pastor John Kilian, they bought about 4,000 acres along Rabbs Creek in what became Lee County. They called their settlement Serbin, meaning 'Wendish Land.' By 1857, the community had around fifty families.

Their 1871 church building still stands. Today the Texas Wendish Heritage Museum in Serbin preserves this history. The museum complex includes a log home built in 1865 by one of the original settlers, a research library, and the old cemetery. Annual events like Wendish Fest draw visitors from across Texas. The site is off FM 2239 in Lee County, south of Giddings.