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Hermann and Antoine Ingenhuett Homestead

Comfort, Kendall County, Texas

Marker Inscription

Hermann and Antoine Ingenhuett Homestead This site was the homestead of Hermann (1870-1944) and Aantoine (1873-1941) Ingenhuett from their marriage in 1895 until their deaths and remained in the family until the end of the 20th century. Hermann acquired the Ingenhuett livery stable and cotton yard from his father, Peter Ingenhuett, about 1895 and served as postmaster of Comfort from 1908 until 1915. The Ingenhuetts, who reared two daughters on their homestead, were active in local civic and business affairs. The homestead included a house, barn, washhouse, smokehouse and cistern and remains a significant part of the German-Texan heritage of this part of the state. (2002)

Erected by Texas Historical Commission

The Story

In the German-settled Hill Country town of Comfort, Hermann and Antoine Ingenhuett built a life at the turn of the 20th century on land tied to Hermann's father, Peter. Around 1895 Hermann took over the family livery stable and cotton yard, and from 1908 to 1915 he served as Comfort's postmaster while the couple raised two daughters. Their homestead — house, barn, washhouse, smokehouse and cistern — anchored a family that stayed on the land until the century's end.

Why it matters

The homestead is a tangible piece of the German-Texan heritage that shaped the Texas Hill Country, where immigrant families wove commerce, civic life, and lasting community into the frontier landscape.

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Related people

  • · Hermann Ingenhuett
  • · Antoine Ingenhuett
  • · Peter Ingenhuett

Themes & tags

Nearby & related markers

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This limestone-block building rose in 1890 as a blacksmith shop—a 'schmiede'—for Jacob Gass in the German community of Comfort. Rock mason J. Gottlieb Lorbeer spent nearly a year on the lower level, walking in each week from Sisterdale, while the upper floor was fitted out quickly as a residence. Paul Ingenhuett bought the building in 1903, and in 1932 his family opened it for use as a museum and public library.

Ludwig Hein Home

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Paul Ingenhuett Home

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Born in 1868 on this Comfort block, Paul Ingenhuett succeeded his father Peter Joseph in the family mercantile business, then branched into farming, sheep and cattle ranching, and helped found the Comfort State Bank. In 1897 he hired noted architect Alfred Giles—already at work on other Comfort buildings—to design this home, built of limestone quarried on family land.

Peter Joseph Ingenhuett Homestead

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