Amy Crockett brought to my attention these Sunday houses” built in the 19th century in Fredericksburg, TX. These were used as a resting place in town when spending long days for church services after having driven long distances from homesteads.
Sunday houses were small second dwellings maintained near a church as a weekend place of residence. They became popular in the late 1800s among farmers and ranchers who lived in areas too remote to permit commuting to services.
The families owning such houses normally left their farms and ranches Saturday morning, journeyed to town, took care of shopping and business, attended an evening dance or party, and spent the night in the Sunday house. On Sunday they attended church in the morning and either returned home in the afternoon or attended Sunday school in the afternoon, and then spent a second night in town.