The community of High Hill was settled primarily by Austrians and grew out of two earlier settlements, Blum Hill and Oldenburg, both settled in the late 1840s. St. Mary’s Church was founded in 1879. The present structure, the third for St. Mary’s opened for worship in 1895. Its steeple rises an impressive 175 feet above the quiet countryside. The archbishop of San Antonio was guest of honor at the opening of the church, which drew between 8,000 and 10,000 people. Two San Antonio artists Ferdinand Stockert and Herman Kern completed the paintings in the church in 1912. St. Mary’s Church is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.