Witte-Schmid House
Why it's listed
Built in 1860 about three miles southeast of Shelby, this two-story farmhouse in Austin County, Texas, reflects the German heritage of its builder, Dr. Ernst Witte, a Hanover-educated lawyer who bought the land in 1856. The walls are stuccoed local sandstone on the first floor, with timber-framed fachwerk filled with adobe brick inside and wood weatherboards on the second story. A center-passage plan, clipped gables, scored stucco, two stove flues in place of fireplaces, and flat ornamental balusters all echo building traditions from Lower Saxony. The Witte family sold the house to John and Emilie Schmid in 1884, and the Schmid family kept it until 1986, which helped preserve its original character. Alterations include a c. 1910 porch and a 1960s standing-seam metal roof that replaced the wood shingles. It was recognized for its architecture as one of the oldest surviving examples of German building in the county. The Texas German Society now plans to open it as a museum.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is an excellent example of a rural vernacular house with a center-passage plan, typical of dwellings built by successful German settlers in mid-19th-century Austin County. Its fachwerk construction, clipped gables, scored stucco and asymmetrical hall reflect the builder's Lower Saxony origins. It is among the oldest surviving examples of German architecture in the county.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 97001531, listed December 8, 1997. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Off Schoenau, near jct. with Eckermann, Shelby |
|---|---|
| County | Austin County |
| Listed | December 8, 1997 |
| Reference number | 97001531 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1860 |
| Architectural style | Vernacular: Center-passage plan |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in good condition with a high degree of integrity; owned by the Texas German Society since 1986, which plans to restore it and operate it as a historic house museum. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 30.00211, -96.56075 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 97001531.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110001181
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.