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Fredericksburg

In other places we've visited, we have noted the importance of the church to the community. The octagonal structure you see on the left is known as Vereins Kirche or the "coffee mill" ("Die Kaffee-Muehle"). How many sides does an octagon have? It was the first public building in Fredericksburg and served as a church, school, or meeting hall depending on the need. All church denominations used this building until they could construct a church of their own. It is also the place where residents sought protection from Indian attacks. The building on the right is Marien Kirche or Saint Mary's church and was built in 1863. If you had to guess, what do you think "kirche" means in German?

This arbor leads to St.Barnabas Episcopal church where former President Lyndon B. Johnson and his family attended church. The mission church was started in the home of Peter Walter. The Walter house, built in 1847, (second from the left in the houses pictured below) still sits on the church grounds.

Providing shelter was always one of the first concerns addressed by settlers. Early homes were simple shelters made from whatever brush could be gathered. Log cabins took more time to build (picture on left) Then came the fachwerk houses (next two pictures) What is meant by "fachwerk"? The size and weight of native limestone blocks caused buildings and houses made of limestone to take considerable time and effort to construct (pictures four and five) Availability of milled lumber changed the appearance of the houses yet again (last picture).

The furniture maker, Peter Tatsch, owned this limestone block house. Notice the rear fireplace which is large enough to roast an entire cow. Some of us have trouble getting a holiday turkey in our ovens. Imagine trying to roast a whole cow at one time.

Before 1870, there were no hotels between Fredericksburg and San Diego, California. The Nimitz Hotel was your last chance to be assured a clean bed and good food before heading west. It was built in 1847 by the grandfather of Admiral Chester W. Nimitz (World War II) with only four rooms and a fireplace. Over the years it grew to forty-five rooms and began to look like a steamboat. The stone structure on the right was the bath house with a cistern on top for collecting rain water. Large iron kettles were used to heat the water for the tin bath tubs. It wasn't very private, but you could get cleaner than using a pitcher and basin in your room.

Near the churches in Fredericksburg, you'll find small houses which were only used on weekends. Notice the size of the house in the second picture compared to the size of the live oak tree. They became known as Sunday houses. Families would come to town on Saturday to do their shopping and stay overnight in their one-room-with-a-sleeping-loft Sunday house so they could attend church the next day before returning home.

Not all small houses were Sunday houses.

Books to Read and Other Resources

• TWENTY TEXANS HISTORIC LIVES FOR YOUNG READERS by Betsy Warren; Hendrick-Long Publishing Co., 1985
• A PARADISE CALLED TEXAS by Janice Jordan Shefelman; Eakin Press, 1983
• WILLOW CREEK HOME by Janice Jordan Shefelman; Eakin Press, 1985
• SPIRIT OF IRON by Janice Jordan Shefelman; Eakin Press, 1985
• IMMIGRANT KIDS by Russell Freedman; Scholastic, 1980

  The Comanche Indians and Texas

  Big Bend History

  Native American Tribes:Index Pages

  Geometry Forum-Finding Geometry in the Everyday Environment

  Barbara Jordan

Suggested Activity

• Who would have used it?
• What materials were used?
• Where was it found?
• Was it portable? Why or why not?
• How was it constructed without power tools or nails?

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