Weber "Das Keller Haus"
Fredericksburg, Gillespie County, Texas
Marker Inscription
This simple, one-room limestone outbuilding was constructed in 1903 by stonemason Emil Weber. He built the structure, which sat over a cellar, for storing vegetables, bacon, sausage, and wine. One of Weber's sons, Werner E. Weber (d. 1974), a woodcarver, used the building for his workshop. He designed altars and religious pieces for many area churches, and also carved a lectern on display in the National Cathedral at Washington, D. C. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1982
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Stonemason Emil Weber built this small limestone outbuilding over a cellar in 1903 in the German town of Fredericksburg, using it to store vegetables, bacon, sausage, and wine. His son Werner, a woodcarver, later turned it into his workshop, where he designed altars and religious pieces for area churches and carved a lectern now displayed in the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C.
Why it matters
The humble 'cellar house' preserves the craftsmanship and food traditions of Fredericksburg's German settlers and the artistry they carried into a new generation.
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Related people
- · Emil Weber
- · Werner E. Weber
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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Kuenemann House
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Henry Basse House
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Descended from a Lutheran pastor sent by the Adelsverein to serve German settlers, Henry Basse and his brother Hugo ran a cement works whose 'Basse block' became a favored building material in the Hill Country. Between 1918 and 1920 Henry built this house as a showcase of that product and his success. Its Prairie School lines and two-story columned porch make it a fine local example of the style.
Meckel-Hanus Building
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