Fredericksburg in Gillespie County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
Kuenemann House
Photographed By James Hulse, January 1, 2021
1. Kuenemann House Marker
Frederick Kuenemann and his family sailed from Bremen, Germany in September 1845. Once in Texas they faced great hardship, walking epidemic-crowded roads to New Braunfels, suffering the death of one daughter on the way and arriving in newly settled Fredericksburg in 1846. In 1866 Kuenemann bought the "fachwerk" or "half-timbered" dwelling which comprises the ground floor of the house. Probably built in 1847 by Heinrich Schupp, the frame of heavy timbers and diagonal bracing filled with fieldstone is a classic example of European medieval building method.
In 1875 the eldest Kuenemann son, Heinrich, was given the home and three adjoining town lots. The family business complex came to include furniture shops adjacent to the main house, a large lumberyard across the street, and a hardware store on Main Street. By the 1880s a kitchen, second floor with double gallery, and Victorian gingerbread trim had been added to the main house.
The evolution of the Kuenemann house from typical early settler's cottage to affluent Victorian grandeur is a classic Texas story like that of the family itself. The last Kuenemann left the house in 1929; it was then used as a nursing home and private residence.
Erected 1998 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 11893.)
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Location. 30° 16.651′ N, 98° 52.849′ W. Marker is in Fredericksburg, Texas, in Gillespie County. Marker is at the intersection of West Creek Street and South Edison Street, on the left when traveling west on West Creek Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 413 West Creek Street, Fredericksburg TX 78624, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. First Methodist Church (approx. 0.2 miles away); Sunday Houses (approx. 0.2 miles away); St. Barnabas Episcopal Church (approx. 0.2 miles away); Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church (approx. 0.2 miles away); Loeffler - Weber House (approx. 0.2 miles away); Republic of Texas German Immigrant Trail (approx. ¼ mile away); St. Mary's Catholic Church (approx. ¼ mile away); Old St. Mary's Church (Die Alte Kirche) (approx. ¼ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Fredericksburg.
Also see . . . Architecture of Fredericksburg, Texas. Believed to have been built in 1846 by Heinrich Schupp. Frederick Kuenemann purchased this fachwerk house in 1866. Over the years, many additions and improvements were made by the Kuenemann family. By 1929, it was a private residence and
Photographed By James Hulse, January 1, 2021
2. A view of the Kuenemann House and Marker from the street
Photographed By James Hulse, January 1, 2021
3. The Kuenemann House
Credits. This page was last revised on January 3, 2021. It was originally submitted on January 3, 2021, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. This page has been viewed 304 times since then and 54 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on January 3, 2021, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.
