Fredericksburg: National Historic District

Historic buildings in a modern commercial area

Fredericksburg (Larry D. Moore CC BY-SA 3.0)

Map of Fredericksburg Texas drawn in 1850. Legend is written in German

1850 map of Fredericksburg in German. (Texas State Library and Archives)

Horse drawn carts traveling on unpaved road in front of a row of low buildings

Early Fredericksburg (Gillespie County Historical Society)

a two storey stone bulding with a balcony and several people standing outside

(Gillespie County Historical Society)

Wide road with mix of automobiles and horse drawn carts. Furniture store and Saloon visible to the right

Downtown in early 1900s, (Gillespie County Historical Society)

Tall archway across a road. Labeled the 21st Tri-Annual Convention Order of the Hermann Sons in Fredericksburg, 1924

Archway for the 21st Tri-Annual Convention Order of the Hermann Sons in Fredericksburg, 1924 (Gillespie County Historical Society)

Group of men in front of Schmidt Brothers Saloon, one man kneeling and aiming a rifle. Saloon is next to a commission merchant and real estate broker office

Schmidt Brothers Saloon, date unknown (UTSA Special Collections Library)

Street sign at the intersection of Main and Orange Streets

Some bilingual street signs are still in use. (Pete unseth/CC BY-SA 4.0)

Modern photo of shops with hanging signs and plants along the sidewalk

Downtown today. (Preiselbeere CC BY-SA 2.0)

Fredericksburg is synonymous with German-Texan heritage. For good reason, too: founded in 1846, Fredericksburg was one of two communities planned and settled by the Adelsverein – a company of noblemen sponsoring German immigration to Texas. After overcoming a few years of adjusting to life in a new land on the frontier, Fredericksburg began to thrive. Thousands of Germans settled here – both in and around town – helping its economy to boom, especially following the Civil War.

An informative walking tour, available at the Visitor Information Center, takes visitors past buildings and homes that showcase Fredericksburg’s German heritage – from the Nimitz Hotel to early saloons, churches and rock houses, to several “Sunday houses” used by rural German settlers trading or attending church over the weekend.

Fredericksburg National Historic District

  • Bounded by Elk, Schubert, Acorn, and Creek Sts., Fredericksburg, TX
  • Visitor Center: 302 E. Austin St., Fredericksburg, TX
  • 830-997-6523
  • Visit Website
  • National Register of Historic Places
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