White House Café and Saloon
Floresville, Wilson County, Texas
Marker Inscription
White House Café and Saloon An important landmark in downtown Floresville, this building dates to the earliest years of the 20th century. Although records have not been found to pinpoint the exact date of construction, it was built sometime between 1902 and 1907. A 1909 newspaper article documents the existence of the White House Restaurant in its second year of operation in the building. Apparently built as a one-story structure, a second story was added by 1912. About 1910, brothers Henry and Frederick (Fritz) Teltschik, the sons of German immigrants, created a partnership to run the White House Restaurant and lodging here. After 1916, Fritz ran the business by himself and purchased the property in 1921. For the next 50 years, Fritz Teltschik welcomed community meetings, social gatherings and high school students to his restaurant. The White House Café was a popular gathering place in downtown Floresville and retains its historic and architectural character from that time period. An example of the Victorian Commercial architecture once more common along Texas main streets, the White House Café and Saloon features arched window and transom openings, with brick corbelling on the parapet at the roofline. It remains an important part of the architectural and cultural heritage of Floresville and of Wilson County. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 2002
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Built in downtown Floresville sometime between 1902 and 1907, this Victorian commercial building housed the White House Restaurant by 1909 and gained a second story by 1912. Around 1910 the Teltschik brothers, sons of German immigrants, partnered to run the café and lodging; Fritz eventually ran it alone and bought the property in 1921, welcoming community meetings and high-school students for the next fifty years. Its arched windows and brick corbelling survive as a rare example of the Victorian commercial storefronts that once lined Texas main streets.
Why it matters
The White House Café embodies the small-town main-street gathering places — often immigrant-run — that anchored community life across turn-of-the-century Texas.
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Related people
- · Henry Teltschik
- · Frederick "Fritz" Teltschik
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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