Lindheimer House facts for kids
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Lindheimer House
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Lindheimer House in New Braunfels
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 Lindheimer House
Location in Texas
Lindheimer House
Location in the United States
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| Location | 491 Comal Ave., New Braunfels, Texas |
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| Area | 0.2 acres (0.081 ha) |
| Built | 1852 |
| Architectural style | German Fachwerk |
| NRHP reference No. | 70000744 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | August 25, 1970 |
The Lindheimer House is a historic home located in New Braunfels, Texas. It was built in 1852 and is an important example of early Texas architecture. The house is now a museum run by the New Braunfels Conservation Society, helping people learn about the past. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970.
About Ferdinand Lindheimer
Ferdinand Jacob Lindheimer (1801–1879) was a very important person in Texas history. He is often called the "father of Texas botany" because he studied plants so much. Botany is the scientific study of plants.
Lindheimer was born in Frankfurt, Germany. He moved to the United States in 1834. He left Germany because of trouble related to his political ideas.
After serving in the military in Texas, Lindheimer moved to St. Louis, Missouri. There, he worked with other plant scientists like George Engelmann and Asa Gray. His plant research connected him with John O. Meusebach. This led Lindheimer to move back to Texas, where he lived for the rest of his life.
The Saltbox House Style
Ferdinand Lindheimer built his house in 1852. It was made in a special style called "saltbox." This style means the roof on the back of the house slopes down lower than the roof on the front.
The house was built using a German style called fachwerk. This is a way of building with a timber frame. Most of the house has stucco covering the fachwerk, but you can still see the timber frame on the back.
The saltbox style was popular in New England. German immigrants in Texas also used it. Instead of a full second floor, Lindheimer's house has a loft upstairs. A chimney in the center of the house helped keep it warm. The front of the house has two doors with special windows above them called transoms.
In 1853, Lindheimer became the editor of a newspaper called Die Neu Braunfels Zeitung. He published the newspaper from his home for about 20 years. He even turned the back of his house into a print shop! Today, the New Braunfels Conservation Society runs the house as a museum.
See also
