Wahrmund-Priess House
Fredericksburg, Gillespie County, Texas
Marker Inscription
The larger of the two houses on this property is original to the site and dates to the period of settlement by German immigrants in this part of Texas. Johann Christian Wahrmund brought his family to Texas in 1846 and by 1851 they were living on this tract of land along Bear Creek. The original portion of the stone house was built between 1852 and 1866. Prussian immigrant Johann Priess bought the house from the Wahrmunds in 1866, and his family enlarged it during the 1870s and 1880s. The house remained under Priess ownership until 1931. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 2001
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
This stone house rose during the great wave of German immigration that gave the Texas Hill Country its distinctive character. Johann Christian Wahrmund brought his family to Texas in 1846 and settled along Bear Creek, where the original portion of the house was built between 1852 and 1866. Prussian immigrant Johann Priess bought the property in 1866, and his family enlarged and held it for another sixty-five years.
Why it matters
Sturdy German stone houses like this are the living fabric of Fredericksburg's immigrant founding and the enduring imprint of Old World craft on the Texas frontier.
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Related people
- · Johann Christian Wahrmund
- · Johann Priess
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
Baethge-Behrend Homestead
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A German family immigrated to Texas in 1854 and, after moving about the central part of the state, settled roughly 120 acres in the Fredericksburg area in 1867. Their homestead centered on a house built of handmade clay-and-straw brick alongside a cluster of outbuildings. Their sons inherited the farm, and the family held it until 1937, when it passed to another German-Texan family.
Stieler Ranch House
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Rausch Ranch Home
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Pape Log Cabin
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