English-German School
Why it's listed
Built in 1877, this one-story frame building at 201 E. Newman in Cuero served as a school before becoming a home. It has weatherboard siding, a gable roof with composition shingles, exposed rafter ends, double-hung wood windows with operable shutters, and a three-bay shed-roofed porch on the north side. The porch has been altered, and additions were made to the side and rear. The school is reputed to be Cuero's first, financed by the English-German School Association, and students were taught in both English and German. It stood in an area tied to the city's German community. Soon after the local school district was organized, the building passed to the Cuero school system. By 1911 Robert Mernitz had converted it into a residence, and family descendants later owned it. The building has since been moved to a residential neighborhood south of the central business district. It is valued as a reminder of the town's German heritage and early educational efforts.
Significance in brief: It is reputed to be Cuero's first school building, financed by the English-German School Association, where students were taught in both languages. It serves as a reminder of Cuero's German community and early educational efforts. The reviewer recommended acceptance under Criterion A for its role in the community's educational history.
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 88001978, listed October 31, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 201 E. Newman, Cuero |
|---|---|
| County | DeWitt County |
| Listed | October 31, 1988 |
| Reference number | 88001978 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Vernacular |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Education |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present use is residential; condition described as good, with porch changes and side and rear additions. The building has been moved. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 29.08605, -97.29204 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
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 88001978.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110000800
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.