The Carl Henke Home
Fredericksburg, Gillespie County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Believed to be the first boy born among the German immigrants who settled Fredericksburg, Carl Henke (1848-1928) became a skilled stonemason. He built the original portion of this structure in 1874 for John Schmitt. the two-room native limestone house has a loft reached by an outside stairway. In the 1880s, Henke purchased the residence for his own use. A wing was added to the west side in 1911. The Henke family occupied this house until 1972. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1978
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Carl Henke was said to be the first boy born among the German immigrants who founded Fredericksburg, and he grew up to become a skilled stonemason. In 1874 he built the original two-room limestone portion of this house—with a loft reached by an outside stair—for John Schmitt, then bought it for himself in the 1880s. His family kept the home for nearly a century, a quiet record of the settlement's first native-born generation.
Why it matters
Homes built by immigrant craftsmen like Henke show how a transplanted German community literally laid the stones of a new Texas town and raised its first American-born children.
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Related people
- · Carl Henke
- · John Schmitt
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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