The Museum of Texas Handmade Furniture
The Museum of Texas Handmade Furniture is located at 1370 Church Hill Drive in New Braunfels Texas in the Heritage Village. It is a historic German fachwerk or half timber home. The early German settlers used indigenous materials to build strong homes. This one survived being moved from the original Breustedt 200 acre homestead. Adobe bricks were inserted into a timber frame made from cedar trees. The interior walls were then covered with plaster. The exterior of this home is Cypress wood. When visiting the house museum, you will be able to see the fachwerk construction of the home in the indoor kitchen wall as well as in the upstairs room. There are few of the old fachwerk homes left in New Braunfels. This Texas museum house is noted in the book A Field Guide to America’s Neighborhoods and Museum Houses by Virginia and Lee McAlester. This home was my grandmother’s grandparent’s home. Andreas and Caroline Breustedt were German early Texas settlers who came to Texas in the 1840’s. The Breustedts built their home in 1858 or 1859. Originally their home was located west of IH 35 but has been moved to the Heritage Village on the east side of IH 35. Not long ago the stone kitchen was reunited with the house in Heritage Village. I am thankful that this family home has been preserved and I visit it often. I love to see the home, the handmade Texas furniture as well as the family photos in the collection. Call Betty Saenz Native Texan and Certified Historic House Specialist at 512-785-5050 or e-mail Betty Saenz to see or sell your own Texas Historic Home.