Historical Marker

Klingelhoeffer House

Historical marker location:
701 W. Main St., Fredericksburg, Texas
( Southwest corner of W. Main St. and S. Acorn St.)
Marker installed: 2012

KLINGELHOEFFER HOUSE

JOHANN JOST KLINGELHOEFFER LEFT EUROPE IN 1846 SEEKING FREEDOM AND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES. THE FAMILY SAILED TO THE PORT OF INDIANOLA THEN TRAVELED TO NEW BRAUNFELS BEFORE ARRIVING IN FREDERICKSBURG. IT IS BELIEVED THAT KLINGELHOEFFER BUILT HIS HOME AROUND 1854 IN THE FACHWERK OR HALF-TIMBERED STYLE. THE TIMBERS ARE OAK WITH AN INFILL OF HANDMADE BRICKS AND THE TWO ROOMS AT GROUND LEVEL WERE SEPARATED BY A DURCHGANG OR DOGTROT. JUST AFTER THE CIVIL WAR, TWO ROOMS WERE ADDED TO THE REAR WHICH CLOSED OFF THE DURCHGANG. IN 1955, TWO MORE ROOMS WERE ADDED, A BATHROOM AND ART STUDIO. THE HOME REPRESENTS AN EARLY TEXAS GERMAN STYLE OF BUILDING THAT WAS UNIQUE TO THE HILL COUNTRY.