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Nacogdoches in Nacogdoches County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
 

Diedrich Anton Wilhelm Rulfs

 
 
Diedrich Anton Wilhelm Rulfs Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By James Hulse, November 20, 2022
1. Diedrich Anton Wilhelm Rulfs Marker
Inscription. Nacogdoches owes much of its visible past to the work of master architect Diedrich Anton Wilhelm Rulfs. By 1897 according to the local newspaper editor, Rulfs had transformed the business district of Nacogdoches from a collection of pioneer-like wooden structures into a modern brick town. In his forty years of work, Rulfs also transformed the city's residential districts by designing a variety of ingenious and elegant homes. Of the buildings designed and built by D. Rulfs, as he always signed his name, over fifty survive today.

Born in 1848 in the northern German province of Oldenberg, Rulfs studied architecture and built houses and churches there before migrating to Nacogdoches in 1879. Rulfs brought with him memories of the rich Victorian styles popular in Europe at the time. Accompanying him were his wife, three children, his mother-in-law, and his brother-in-law. Wilhelm Henry Rulfs, a younger brother, came later and became the architect's trusted contractor and carpenter.

D. Rulfs came to Nacogdoches at the request of his friend John Schmidt. Schmidt, a prominent Nacogdoches entrepreneur, made the architect's reputation by commissioning several commercial buildings and a personal residence. Rulfs started with small brick buildings on the Public Square, later redesigning and enlarging some of these structures
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two and three times after fires or necessity dictated their refurbishment. This marker rests on the Old Opera House (1889), one of a series of brick buildings Rulfs designed for his mentor John Schmidt; Rulfs also designed and redesigned (1908) the Mayer & Schmidt Building at the other end of this block. The Hazel Building (across Church Street from this marker) and the Redlands Hotel (across Main Street) were products of the period of 1901-1906.

Rulfs also drew the plans for courthouses, schools, churches, and hotels in the downtown area. While he built sanctuaries for almost all the congregations in town, only two of his churches still stand: Zion Hill First Baptist Church next to Oak Grove Cemetery (still on its original site) and the Episcopal Christ Church (moved from Washington Square to Starr Avenue in 1940). Some fine examples of Rulfs' domestic architecture still stand in the downtown area along Church, Mound, and Logansport Streets. The Roland Jones House, at the corner of Church and Hospital, is one of the finest Victorian houses in the state of Texas. The business expansion of the 1960's destroyed most of Rulfs' houses along North Street, but there are still fine examples along that street at the intersections of King, Powers, Starr, and Rusk. The Eugene Blunt house across from Stephen F. Austin State University is one of the architect's last and finest structures.

D.
Diedrich Anton Wilhelm Rulfs Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By James Hulse, November 20, 2022
2. Diedrich Anton Wilhelm Rulfs Marker
The marker is located on the left side of the two story building.
Rulfs died in 1926 and is buried in Oak Grove Cemetery.
 
Erected by The Heritage Club of Nacogdoches and the City of Nacogdoches Main Street Advisory Board.
 
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: ArchitectureIndustry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1897.
 
Location. 31° 36.21′ N, 94° 39.318′ W. Marker is in Nacogdoches, Texas, in Nacogdoches County. Marker is at the intersection of East Main Street (State Highway 21) and South Pecan Street, on the left when traveling east on East Main Street. The marker is located on the east side of the corner of the building. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 123 East Main Street, Nacogdoches TX 75961, United States of America. Touch for directions.
 
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Weeks Building (a few steps from this marker); Old Wettermark Bank Building (a few steps from this marker); The Colonel and Mrs. Robert Parker Andrews Memorial Park and Archeological Landmark (within shouting distance of this marker); In Memory of Thomas F. McKinney (within shouting distance of this marker); Plaza Place (within shouting distance of this marker); The West Side of the Square (within shouting distance of this marker); Thomas Jefferson Rusk
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(within shouting distance of this marker); The Nine Flags of Nacogdoches (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Nacogdoches.
 
More about this marker. There is a duplicate marker on the corner of East Main and North Church Streets.
 
Also see . . .  Diedrich Rulfs. Stephen F. Austin State University
Rulfs's friend, John Schmidt, was a prominent citizen in Nacogdoches and upon the completion of his home in 1895, helped to establish Rulfs's reputation by commissioning him to build and renovate several of his downtown businesses and personal residences. Rulfs brought with him the architectural styles he had learned in Europe. This included the use of colorful stained glass, detailed ornamentation, creative uses of materials and styles, and the catering to the needs of the family who would live in the home. Rulfs began by building in the Victorian Queen Anne style, which is characterized by asymmetrical floor plans, bay windows, gables, stained glass, and gingerbread details. Over the course of his career, Rulfs's style evolved and he mixed and matched Victorian style with other styles such as Gothic, Greek Revival, Bungalow, and Prairie. Rulfs was well known for working with what he was given, both in using materials creatively and in taking into consideration the location, wind currents and the placement of windows. He also and adapted existing homes into larger and better functioning designs.
(Submitted on November 22, 2022, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.) 
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on November 23, 2022. It was originally submitted on November 21, 2022, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. This page has been viewed 86 times since then and 13 times this year. Photos:   1, 2. submitted on November 22, 2022, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.

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Mar. 28, 2024