Site of Old Schmitz Hotel
New Braunfels, Comal County, Texas
Marker Inscription
First portion--of local cedar and limestone--was built about 1851 by Rudolph Nauendorf. Early German immigrant Jacob Schmitz bought building in 1858 as new location of his "Guadalupe Hotel." Old World atmosphere of the inn-stagestand was praised by noted writer Frederick Olmsted.In 1873 third story was added and hotel was renamed for owner. Original facade has since been much altered. Bought (1969) by new Braunfels Conservation Society.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
The oldest part of this building rose around 1851 from local cedar and limestone, and in 1858 German immigrant Jacob Schmitz bought it as the new home of his Guadalupe Hotel. The traveling writer Frederick Law Olmsted praised the inn's Old World atmosphere as he passed through the German settlements of central Texas. A third story was added in 1873 and the hotel took Schmitz's name, though its original facade has since been much changed.
Why it matters
The hotel captures the flavor of German immigrant New Braunfels and the network of inns and stage stands that served travelers across antebellum Texas.
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Related people
- · Jacob Schmitz
- · Rudolph Nauendorf
- · Frederick Law Olmsted
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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