One of the most popular things to see and do in Castroville is to take the Historic Walking Tour which features over 50 homes and commercial structures originally built in the mid to late 1800s.
You will notice that the buildings on the Walking Tour are identified with a distinctive marker - a silhouette of a typical house bearing the name and the date of construction. You will also find them elsewhere, as the Chamber of Commerce has presented them to all homeowners who have researched the records to verify the necessary information. Look for them as you move about the city and surrounding countryside. History is everywhere!
The Historic Walking tour can be found in the Walking Tour Brochure.
Blue Landmark Inn Walking Tour
1. Inn Historic Site - Start your tour at Landmark Inn where you can learn about the history of the area. Perched along the Medina River, Landmark Inn was a key stop for those heading west from San Antonio.
2. Joseph Burrell House - This house represents a double-dwelling place and was constructed in 1845 by Joseph Burrell, a native of Altorf, Alsace, who arrived on the Castro ship, Jeanette Marie. The structure is considered one of the oldest in Castroville.
3.Valentine Vollmer House - Deeded to Louis Huth by Henri Castro, this limestone home was purchased for $200 by the Vollmer family in 1870. Vollmer came to Castroville from Eppstein, Pfalz, Bavaria, Germany.
4. Burger Hüs - Considered to be the oldest home in Castroville, the home was built in 1844. The original ceiling was cheese cloth and the floors were made of cypress wood. You can still see the original flooring in the back section of the home.
5. A. H. Tondre Hüs - Purchased from Sears, Roebuck & Company by Adolph H. Tondre in 1911, this house was shipped by rail to La Coste and hauled to Castroville by horse and wagon. The house is very close to its original condition.
6. Joe Bendele Log Cabin - This is the only log cabin structure that remains in Castroville from the early pioneer period. Built from 1847-1849, the home is constructed of oak logs and may have been used for servants quarters.
7. Nicholas Tondre Hüs - An example of French-Norman architecture, the house had two rooms flanked by a hallways and steep staircase that led to a loft. The S-shaped iron rods hold the walls together. The walls are 16" to 18" and extend nearly three feet under the ground.
8. Huth/Jungman Hüs - The home has non-vertical flues that were common in early homes. When you look at the end of this house, you can see windows directly below chimneys. The flues were run in the walls from the living room and bedroom.
9. John Vollmer Hüs - The stone walls of this home are 20" to 24" thick with a floor constructed of local cypress. The house with living room and one bedroom was built in 1863 with a dining room added in 1900.
10. Zimmerly House - The walls of Zimmerly House are 18" limestone that were then covered with stucco and originally, painted white. The original 12' ceiling and floors are all still in the home. The original construction took place in 1855.
Red September Square Walking Trail
1. September Square - September Square honors the founders of Castroville. In 1994, a State Historical Marker was placed in honor of Henri Castro. Two monuments honor veterans of World War 1 and World War 2.
2. Brauer Hüs - Built in the 1850s, it was built of limestone and cypress beams. The house consisted of one large with fireplace and a back room which also had a fireplace. The property includes another small house that was living quarters, smokehouse, and rock-lined well.
3. Knobloch Hüs - August Knobloch was the city tinsmith and operated his shop out of this address beginning in 1870. The original property consisted of a stone smoke house and one other room. Knobloch expanded the house by adding two rooms made of limestone block.
4. Cordier-Tschirhart Hüs - The Cordier-Tschirhart home was built of native rock between 1844 and 1847. It often took several years to construct a home because of farming and other work needed to survive. The home was restored in 1976.
5. Monier Hüs - Built in 1847, this four room rock house was home to the Monier family. With 11 children, they needed plenty of space and acquired the lot from Henri Castro. The still intact water tower, carriage house, and the porches front and back, were added after 1921.
6. Biry-Ahr Property - This home houses the Castro Colonies Living History Center. Step into the home and experience how those early settlers lived. Set up a tour at 210-854-9794 to truly experience this home.
7. Louis Haller House - Built around 1877 by Louis Haller who was a scout for the Texas Rangers and a wagoner during the Civil War, the limestone structure is similar in style to many pioneer homes in Castroville. The chimney of the unusual corner fireplace angles through the wall and sits at the peak of the roof over a window.
8. The Tarde Hotel - Built as a hotel in 1852, the inn was recognized for its fine French food and hospitality. Considered to be one of the finest of its time; many historic figures stayed in this charming place. In his book, "A Journey Through Texas," Frederick Law Olmstead said the Tarde Hotel was the finest Inn he had seen in Texas.
9. Kieser/Pingenot Hüs - This combination Alsatian/Victorian architecture is the only one in Castroville. The original home of rock and cypress was built in 1850 by Henri Castro and the settlers. The Victorian style addition of two rooms was done in 1905.
10. Carle Hüs and Store - Built around 1865, this structure started as a single room with a cellar which is now a part of the rear wing. Katherine Krust sold the property to Joseph Carle with an agreement that Carle would build her a one room house with porch and kitchen on the lot. It was eventually turned into a general store with living space upstairs.
11. St. Louis Catholic Church - One of the largest Catholic churches in Texas when constructed, it was built from 1868-1870 of limestone and cypress. The church was dedicated on August 25, 1870, the feast of St. Louis and is still celebreated today. Stain glass was added in 1908 along with a taller spire.
12. Peter Jungman Hüs and Store - Peter Jungman built the house in 1867. In 1878 Jungman purchased the first courhouse from Medina County officials and used the stone to add a store to the property. It is located on the east side of the home.
13. Jungman Hüs - This combined rock and lumber home was purchased by Fred W. Jungman in 1902. The original rock house was built with locally quarried building stone in the 1860's. Two Victorian bedrooms and a porch were added on the east side of the home in the early 1900's.
14. Claude Dubois Hüs - Father Claude Dubois was the first Priest in Castro Colonies. He was captured twice by Comanches and later became the Bishop of Texas. Before all that took place, Dubois replaced a picket hut with this structure.
15. First Stone St. Louis Church - This was the first stone Catholic Church built in Medina County and west of San Antonio in the Republic of Texas. Construction began just nine days after the settlers arrived in 1844.
16. Jean Merian Hüs - The deed for this property was first recorded on March 10, 1851, by Amelia Mathias (Ms. Henri Castro) and Angelo Causici (adopted Grandson of Henri Castro). Jean Merian, a master mason and builder, purchased the property and built the home of native limestone, cypress and oak.
17. Joseph Courand Hüs - The family constructed the home in the 1850s, taking several years because they also worked and farmed. The original family operated a general store that was located next door. The home currently houses a retail establishment.
18. Dan's Meat Market - The original meat market was built in 1925 with the saloon added later. The corner originally the Castroville Anvil and a tin shop. In recent years it has been converted into an award-winning barbeque establishment.
19. Hans Meat Market - This property sits on the corner of what was the Main Street of Castroville. The original lot housed several different buildings, including the Dolch House, well house, smokehouse, and barn. Today the property houses several businesses. You will find Firebrand Pottery as well as All Local Market.
20. The Old Standby - One of only a few two story buildings in Castroville, the building began as a saloon in 1857. It had its share of gun battles and during prohibition, became a soda fountain and drug store.
21. Keiffer/Wernette Tondre Store - Originally the Keifer Brewery & Saloon, the second floor was added and had a balcony and dance hall. In later years it was turned into a grocery, lumber, and dry goods store. The balcony was added back in 2023.
22. Henri Castro Homestead - The empresario and founder of Castro's Colony. Castro chose this lot when laying out the blocks in his namesake. The earliest home designs were 16x32 feet with an 8-foot-wide rear addition which could contain the kitchen.
23. Zion Lutheran Church - Many of the German settlers who arrived in the 1840's were Lutherans who kept their religious traditions by meeting in homes. The church was organized in 1852 with 12 charter members. Construction of the structure began in 1853 with the rock, sand, and timber provided by the congregants.
24. Old Highway Filling Station - Originally constructed as a saloon, the Highway Filling station was also the Painter Bus Station and a liquor store. It became a gas station in 1920 as the automobile replaced the horse. Today you can get a great cup of coffee and breakfast treat.
Gold Additional Historic Places
1. Steinbach Hüs - The Steinbach Haus was originally built by the Steinbach family between 1618 and 1648 in Wahlbach, County of Sundgau, Alsace, France. The Steinbach Haus was shipped to Castroville in 1998 as a gift from the citizens of Alsace, France
2. Joseph Cournard, Jr. Hüs - Originally built in 1882, the house was a gift from Joseph to his bride, Julia. It is the most impressive example of Victorian architecture in the city. The home has 12-foot ceilings and many windows.
3. Dominic Schott Hüs - Dominic Schott was 33 when he moved to the area in 1868. He came with his wife and infant daughter. They left one daughter in Alsace, but they raised 10 children in this four room home.
4. Johannes Kepler Hüs - Built in 1846, this is believed to be the second oldest home in Castroville. It has seen 10 different owners in its lifetime, including Henri Castro, and was restored beginning in 1978 when Lora Mae McVay purchased the home.
5. Arcdius Steinle Hüs - Arcadius left Hettingen, Prussia and joined the early settlers in Castroville. He weas a mason by trade and purchased his lot from Henri Castro. The cabin was built in an L-shape with three large rooms.
6. Anton & Catherine Schneider Hüs - Anton Schneider and Catherine Ahr were both single when they arrived in Texas. They met and were married in 1852. Shortly after they purchased this lot and built a home of native limestone.
7. Alois Walter Hüs - Alois Walter purchased the property for $50 in 1852 from Henri Castro. The home is built of hard limestone and still retains flooring, doors, windows, built-in bookcase, and a staircase with bi-fold doors. It was restored in 1999.
8. Bippert-Kueck Hüs - Jacob and Mary Magdalena Bippert contracted with Henri Castro in Antwerp, Belgium to immigrate to Texas with their five children. The home was constructed in 1847 and extended in 1869 with a hall and two rooms with fireplaces.
9. Mangold/Holszhaus Hüs - A deed from 1855 described the property as, "a house and a rock fence." The house was constructed with a root cellar and sleeping loft that could be reached by outside staircases.
10. Patterson/Renken/Bourquin/Higdon Hüs - The home was built in 1849. The house was originally four rooms with five fireplaces and a warming oven. The front porch comprises of stones that formed the original foyer of St. Louis Church.
11. Henry Vonflie Hüs - The original owner was killed by Indians in September of 1855. His son inherited the property. The limestone walls vary in thickness from 18-22 inches. The thick limestone walls kept the house cool in the summer and warm in the winter.
12. Antoine Xavier Jung House - Jung built a comfortable cabin in 1845. The home is constructed of cypress timbers with fachwerk, one of a very few homes of this style. The house is considered to be one of the oldest structures in Castroville still in use today.