John Reichle General Merchandise (Welcome Store)
Industry, Austin County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Originally operated by the John Reichle Family, this store opened about 1890. Damaged by a storm about 1900, the original 2-story building was changed to its current 1-story configuration with asymmetrical front gables, a full-width porch, and exterior walls that are a combination of horizontal siding and vertical board and batten siding. The business was acquired by the Clemons S. Faist family in 1964, and renamed Welcome Store. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1992
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
The John Reichle family opened this general store around 1890 in the aptly named town of Industry, one of Texas's oldest German settlements. After a storm damaged the original two-story building around 1900, it was rebuilt in the one-story form seen today, with gabled front, full-width porch, and a mix of horizontal and board-and-batten siding. The Faist family acquired it in 1964 and renamed it the Welcome Store.
Why it matters
Country general stores were the commercial and social hubs of rural America, and survivors like this one preserve the vernacular architecture and everyday economy of a German-Texan community.
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Related people
- · John Reichle
Themes & tags
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