Saathoff House
Also known as: Schuehle-Saathoff House
Why it's listed
Near Quihi in Medina County, Texas, this one-and-a-half story limestone cottage was built around 1870, according to tradition for Henry Schuehle. It measures about 26 by 43 feet and has a deep inset porch with four square wooden posts across a five-bay front, a low gable roof, and end chimneys. Walls are hewn native limestone set in lime-sand plaster, and local cypress was used for framing, floors, doors and window frames. The design reflects Alsatian-influenced German building traditions of the area. The house is linked to the Saathoff family, early settlers from Castro's Colony. Family members served as school trustees, a county school superintendent, and a local historian, and helped found the first free public school system in the county. After about 1944 the house served as a hunting lodge and weekend home. Apart from a rear porch enclosed around 1920, it remains largely unaltered and is the only German house of its era in Quihi to survive in such a preserved state.
Significance in brief: The nomination ties the house to early German settlement around Quihi and to the Saathoff family, who helped establish the first free public school system in Medina County. It is also presented as a rare, intact example of German-Alsatian vernacular stone architecture with excellent masonry, and the only German house of its period in Quihi to survive so unaltered.
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 82004515, listed September 9, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Quihi-Stormhill Rd., Quihi |
|---|---|
| County | Medina County |
| Listed | September 9, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82004515 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architectural style | Vernacular German-Alsatian domestic stone architecture |
| Areas of significance | Education, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition described as fair; owners were restoring it (new roof, plumbing) and intended to use it as a private residence and vacation home. |
| Acreage | 66 |
| Coordinates | 29.39738, -99.00876 (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 82004515.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q107318723
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.