Kuhlmann-King House
Boerne, Kendall County, Texas
Marker Inscription
This structure was built in the late 1880s as a residence for German native William Kuhlmann (1856-1918), a successful pharmacist and landholder. He sold the home in 1908 to Selina Long King (1831-1910), whose sons operated the local King & King Lumber Co. The Boerne Independent School District owned the house from 1920 to 1951, using it for rental property as well as for school-related purposes. Hill Country artist Harry Anthony DeYoung (1893-1956) leased the house for two years while teaching art in San Antonio. The Kuhlmann-King house has been owned by the city of Boerne since 1951. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1982
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
German immigrant William Kuhlmann, a successful Boerne pharmacist and landholder, built this house in the late 1880s. It passed to Selina Long King, whose sons ran the local King & King Lumber Co., and later served the school district and even housed Hill Country artist Harry Anthony DeYoung while he taught in San Antonio. The city of Boerne has owned it since 1951, and it was recorded as a Texas Historic Landmark in 1982.
Why it matters
The house reflects the German immigrant heritage that shaped the Texas Hill Country, where newcomers became merchants, pharmacists, and civic pillars of their adopted towns.
The story behind this marker
AI contextThe era
Boerne sits in the Texas Hill Country, a region shaped by German immigrants who arrived in large numbers in the mid-1800s. The town itself was founded by German settlers and named for the writer Ludwig Börne, and German language and customs shaped its daily life for generations.
By the late 1880s, when this house was built, Boerne had settled into life as a small market town. Merchants, tradespeople, and professionals served the ranches and farms around it, and the town's German heritage stayed visible in its businesses, churches, and homes.
In the decades that followed the town grew and changed. Its institutions, from the school district to city government, took on new roles, and many older buildings passed through several owners and uses.
People & events
William Kuhlmann built this house in the late 1880s. Born in Germany in 1856, he became a successful pharmacist and landholder in Boerne. A pharmacist held a respected place in a small town, and a fine house like this one reflected his standing.
In 1908 Kuhlmann sold the house to Selina Long King, born in 1831. Her sons ran the local King & King Lumber Co., a business that would have supplied the materials for much of the building going on around them. She lived only a couple of years after the purchase, dying in 1910.
Later, the house served the community in new ways. The Boerne Independent School District owned it from 1920 to 1951 and used it both as rental property and for school purposes. Along the way, Hill Country artist Harry Anthony DeYoung leased it for two years while teaching art in San Antonio. Since 1951 the city of Boerne has owned it, and in 1982 it was recorded as a Texas Historic Landmark.
Its place in the American story
The Hill Country's German communities are one of the most distinctive chapters in the American immigrant story. Newcomers like William Kuhlmann became pharmacists, merchants, and landowners, helping build towns that kept a strong cultural identity while becoming thoroughly American.
The house's later history shows how buildings take on a public life. Passing from a private family to a school district to a city, it follows a common American pattern in which community institutions take over and preserve older homes.
Its link to Harry Anthony DeYoung adds another thread. The Hill Country drew painters who found inspiration in its landscape, and the region's art tradition is part of how Texas came to see and celebrate itself.
If you visit
Take time to look at the house itself and think about the late-1880s craftsmanship of a prosperous immigrant's home. Picture Kuhlmann heading off to his pharmacy, and later the King family, whose lumber business helped build the town around them.
The house is owned by the city, so check locally for what access is available rather than assuming you can go inside. Even from outside, it's a fine example of Boerne's historic architecture.
Boerne is an easy drive from San Antonio and makes a great Hill Country day trip. Pair this stop with a stroll through the town's historic core, where the German heritage that shaped the Kuhlmann-King house is still easy to see.
Written by AI to add context, grounded in the marker’s inscription and the historical record. The inscription above is the original, unaltered text.
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Related people
- · William Kuhlmann
- · Selina Long King
- · Harry Anthony DeYoung
Themes & tags
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