D'Hanis Historic District

Old D'Hanis, in Medina County, Texas, is the original townsite of Henri Castro's fourth colony, settled in 1847 mainly by Alsatian immigrants. The district covers several blocks south of Highway 90 and holds 17 architecturally significant structures, mostly modest stone houses from the 1850s to 1880s, along with remodeled buildings, modern structures and the sites of 22 lost buildings. Houses followed a compact plan, often two rooms with a sleeping loft and a rear shed room, built of rubble or cut stone with timber lintels. The ruined St. Dominic's Church, built in 1868 in Gothic Revival style, is a landmark of the old community. The railroad bypassed the town in 1881 and placed a depot about a mile away, drawing commerce and residents to a new D'Hanis. That decline left the original street grid and many buildings largely intact, which is why the district was listed as an example of a European colonial village in Texas.