Schroeder, Fritz Paul and Emma, House
Why it's listed
Built in 1914 by farmer and carpenter Fritz Paul Schroeder, this 1 1/2-story frame house sits on a hilltop in the rural Sandy Hill community north of Brenham, Texas. Its center-passage plan is modified into a T shape, with a long front porch, intersecting gabled roofs, dormer windows, diamond-pattern shingled gables and tall tongue-and-groove interior finishes. The house faces to catch summer winds and was built with locally obtained materials. A hand-dug 50-foot well stands behind it. Schroeder, a German immigrant's son, bought the 100 acres in 1911 and farmed cotton, corn, livestock and a large garden while raising ten children. The property is recognized for its intact vernacular design and for illustrating the family farm era in Washington County, when cotton prices dictated farm life and the area slowly shifted toward stock and dairy use. It remains a single-family home, in good condition, and is being rehabilitated.
Significance in brief: The house is presented as an intact example of early 20th century rural vernacular architecture built with local materials in a German farming community (Criterion C). It also represents the era of the family farm in Washington County, shaped by the rise and fall of cotton prices (Criterion A, Agriculture).
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 94001169, listed September 30, 1994. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Co. Rd. 68, N side, N of Brenham, Brenham |
|---|---|
| County | Washington County |
| Listed | September 30, 1994 |
| Reference number | 94001169 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1914-1944 |
| Architect / builder | Schroeder, Fritz Paul (builder) |
| Architectural style | Other: Modified Center Passage |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Agriculture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in good condition, needing only minor repairs, and retaining integrity; still a single dwelling, with the farmstead being rehabilitated. |
| Acreage | 100 |
| Coordinates | 30.28112, -96.30840 (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 94001169.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q109999821
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.