F. W. Arhelger Shop
Fredericksburg, Gillespie County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Frederick William Arhelger, a second generation cabinetmaker and wheelwright, constructed this building in 1898 for use as a farm implement shop. Built of quarried limestone, it was designed to accommodate wagons and large farm equipment. The front ramp, double doors, and the absence of partitions provided maximum access to the interior. Arhelger operated the business until 1918 when he wold it to Ernst Schmidt. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1980
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
In 1898 Frederick William Arhelger, a second-generation cabinetmaker and wheelwright, raised this limestone shop in Fredericksburg to build and repair farm implements. Its double doors, front ramp, and open, partition-free interior let wagons and heavy equipment roll straight inside. Arhelger ran the business until selling it in 1918.
Why it matters
The shop illustrates the skilled German-Texan craftsmen who kept an agricultural region running, and the sturdy limestone building tradition of the Hill Country.
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Related people
- · Frederick William Arhelger
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
Old Central Drugstore
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Swiss-born jeweler and watchmaker Alphons Walter raised this two-story building in the heart of Fredericksburg in 1905, then sold it in 1909 to civic leader Robert Striegler, who ran the Central Drugstore on the ground floor. A drugstore would occupy the site for more than 70 years, while the upper floor housed the town's telephone exchange, doctors' offices, and a photographer's studio.
Felix Van Der Stucken Home
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Belgian immigrant Felix Van Der Stucken bought this Fredericksburg site in 1864 and raised the original one-story limestone section soon after, adding a second story later. He ran a steam-powered mill nearby that grew into the Reliance Roller Mills, and his home blended Victorian and Greek Revival details in native stone. The Hennig family bought the house in 1940.
The Schandua Building
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