Description

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This richly illustrated book tracks the evolution of Fredericksburg architecture and guides readers through the streets of this once-westernmost German settlement in America, pointing out the log, fachwerk, and stone buildings that housed the town’s full-time residents, its weekenders, and the businesses of the nineteenth century.

Abundant with details uncovered by Hafertepe in his research, including corrections to construction dates based on newly tapped records, this guide features those buildings visible to visitors from the public streets and sidewalks. The author lists which buildings are open for tours and which ones have been converted to public use such as museums, stores, or restaurants.

The buildings of Fredericksburg reflect memories of classic German construction and technique with a gradual transition to American styles, including a few remarkable decades that were neither purely German nor American distinctively but saw the creation of a regional style.

This book allows readers to walk down the streets of Fredericksburg and see the layers of Texas history on display: everything from a pioneer log cabin to an art deco courthouse.

About the Author

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KENNETH HAFERTEPE is chair of the department of museum studies at Baylor University. He is the author of several books, including America’s Castle: The Evolution of the Smithsonian Building and Its Institution, 1840–1878 and Abner Cook: Master Builder on the Texas Frontier.

Praise For…

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“Kenneth Hafertepe can read a house like a history book. Its design and building materials, its age, its location and its owners all contribute clues that add up to a broader history of a neighborhood, a town or a region. . . A Guide to the Historic Buildings of Fredericksburg and Gillespie County is tailor-made to accompany and inform a walking or driving tour of the Texas town and its surrounding county.”—Waco Tribune
— Waco Tribune

“. . . will open the readers’ eyes not only to the rich details of the buildings but also to the stories and culture of their designers, builders, and owners. . . makes a journey to these areas more enjoyable and promotes the knowledge of early settlers and history.”—Mexia News
— Mexia News

"A Guide to the Historic Buildings of Fredericksburg and Gillespie County is a book anyone sightseeing in Gillespie County will want to have on hand, and anyone interested in Texas architecture will enjoy reading." — Galveston County Daily News
— Galveston County Daily news