Comfort Historic District
Why it's listed
Comfort, in southwestern Kendall County, Texas, was founded in 1854 by German settlers, and this district covers much of its original townsite. About 85 acres hold 121 buildings, with generous open lots that date to the town's founding. Development came in two phases. The first, from 1854 to about 1865, produced log cabins and fachwerk houses built of local cypress and limestone; the 1854 Heuermann Log Cabin is among the oldest houses in town. The second phase began in 1879, when merchant August Faltin hired San Antonio architect Alfred Giles to design a limestone store, the first building in town by a trained architect. Limestone commercial buildings followed along High Street, including an opera house, store, saloon and hotel. Most residences date from 1890 to 1920 and are Victorian frame houses, many on an ell plan with jigsaw porch detailing. Highway construction in 1932 added newer buildings that are classed as intrusions or compatible.
Significance in brief: The district preserves a German-settled Texas town with log, fachwerk, limestone and Victorian vernacular buildings from two phases of development, 1854-1865 and 1879 to the 1920s. It includes the Alfred Giles-designed Faltin Building and the commercial buildings along High Street. Its large open town lots are described as one of its most distinctive features.
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 79002989, listed May 29, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | TX 27, Comfort |
|---|---|
| County | Kendall County |
| Listed | May 29, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79002989 |
| Resource type | District |
| Architect / builder | Alfred Giles (architect of the Faltin Building, 1879) |
| Architectural style | Fachwerk (German half-timber), log construction, Victorian and late Victorian vernacular, limestone commercial buildings |
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Of 121 buildings, 77 are contributing, 30 compatible and 14 intrusions. Condition is marked fair to good, and the district was heavily flooded in 1978. |
| Acreage | 85 |
| Within district | Comfort Historic District (Boundary Increase) |
| Coordinates | 29.96765, -98.91135 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 79002989.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5151681
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.