Castroville: National Historic District

Two storey white stucco commercial building with a second floor balcony

Business in historic district.

Image of Henri Castro

Henri Castro (Texas State Library and Archives)

Early drawing of Castroville by artist Theodore Gentilz showing a gently sloped area with a large semicircle of trees and buildings in between them

Early Castroville as drawn by artist Theodore Gentilz (Texas State Library and Archives)

Small white stucco house with a red metal roof and a wooden rail fence in front
White studdo home with a rough timber carport on a tree-lined street with no curbs
Small stucco building with a cross on top that served as the first Catholic church in Castroville in 1846

Original St. Louis Catholic Church, dedicated in 1846.

Church of limestone construction with a massive entrance and front bell tower and spire

St. Louis Catholic Church

Small white stuccoed home with grey metal roof and periwinkle blue trim on doors and window shutters, and a short wrought iron fence around the property
Large white multilevel house with shaker-style roof, picket fence, and an old two-wheeled cart in the front yard
House with log cabin constructionin back, and half-timbering in front, covered porch with a sitting bench. Trees and a stone outbuilding in the background
Two-storey building painted to emphasize the fachwerk, or half-timbering, construction

Steinbach Haus Visitor Center, moved from Wahlburg, Germany in 1998.

Castroville’s downtown, designated a National Historic District, retains much of the architectural appearance as it did when the town was laid out in the 1840s. Numerous stucco houses and buildings still stand here, a reminder of the German-speaking Alsatians who settled the town.

You can take a self-guided walking tour of Castroville that showcases more than 50 sites, including historic homes, churches, shops, and even two traditional meat markets. This includes the Steinbach Haus, which in 1998 was moved from Wahlberg, a town in French Alsace, to Castroville. The 1845 home of the town’s founder, Henri Castro is included on the tour.

Steinbach House and Visitor Center

  • Hours: Monday - Friday, 9 a.m. - 5 pm., Saturday, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., Sunday, 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.
  • 100 Karn St., Castroville, TX
  • 830-538-9838
  • Visit Website
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