Hotel Faust
Also known as: The Faust
Why it's listed
Four stories tall and faced in masonry over reinforced concrete, this hotel on South Seguin Street in New Braunfels opened in October 1929 as the Travelers Hotel. Harvey Partridge Smith of San Antonio designed it, and Walter Sipple's New Braunfels firm built it. Its facade combines block-like massing with a stepped parapet and cast-stone panels of floral and heraldic ornament recalling Spanish Renaissance Revival motifs. Inside, the lobby has barrel vaults, ornate pier caps, wrought-iron fixtures and floor tiles with Mexican folk-art designs made in San Antonio. A drought in the mid-1920s hurt the local farm economy, and Chamber of Commerce members formed a hotel company to attract tourists, conventions and traveling salesmen. The Faust family donated the site, and the hotel was renamed for the family in 1936. Restoration work followed decades of decline, and the building still operates as a hotel with 63 guest rooms, a rarity among its Texas contemporaries.
Significance in brief: The hotel is a fine example of a 1920s medium-rise hotel in Texas, with Spanish Renaissance Revival detailing and an intact decorative lobby. It was the major Depression-era construction project in New Braunfels and reflects the civic pride and business leadership of the town's German community. It is also one of the few known 1920s medium-rise hotels in Texas still operating as a hotel.
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 85000922, listed May 2, 1985. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 240 S. Sequin St., New Braunfels |
|---|---|
| County | Comal County |
| Listed | May 2, 1985 |
| Reference number | 85000922 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900- (specific date 1929) |
| Architect / builder | Walter Sipple/Harvey Partridge Smith |
| Architectural style | Astylistic design with Spanish Renaissance Revival detailing |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied and operating as a hotel; restored in recent years and rated in excellent condition, with some alterations such as an enclosed bar and an enlarged kitchen. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 29.71028, -98.12383 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
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 85000922.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q15225812
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.