Texas- the Witte-Schmid House

The 1860 Witte-Schmid Haus was donated 

to the Texas German Society in 1986 

by Annie Schmid and her son, Sanford Schmid.  

The German fachwerk structure known as "Das Haus" 

was listed on the National Register
 of Historic Places in December, 1997.

  It is located in the Schoenau community 

between Industry and Shelby in Austin County, Texas.

The first owner of the house was Dr. Ernst Witte, 

a lawyer born in Blomberg, Germany, in 1793. 

After a successful career 

in law and politics in his native land,

 he followed his sons to America,

 and with his wife, Lisette,

 bought 1422 acres of land in Texas.

 He turned his attention
to raising cattle and cotton.

Shortly thereafter, the Wittes 

began construction on the house,

 which reproduced many of the details

 of the Wittes' house in Germany. 

The structure is of stone and timber,

 with two levels and a cellar. 

The first level has a sandstone perimeter

 with a stucco finish;

 the upper level is faced with clapboard siding. 

Interior walls are of half-timber,

 or fachwerk construction

 filled-in with adobe bricks.

Dr. Witte died in 1869 and was buried

 in a small cemetery a short distance 

southeast of the house. 

His wife died in 1883 but was buried at Shelby

 because wet weather 

made the road to the 

family cemetery impassable.

The house remained in the family

 until December, 1986,

 when it was given to 

the Society by Annie Schmid

 and her son Sanford Schmid. 

It is an excellent example of 

19th century German-Texan construction

 and is among the oldest surviving

examples of German architecture

 in Austin County.

(Texas German Society Website)

While in Texas, 

we had the chance
 to visit this historic house. 
Artifacts include original items
 from the home 
and some "period pieces" donated.

 A home that included many 

children through the years.

The details show the horsehair

 in the walls upstairs-

 to give strength and stability. 

                                                     A gathering to celebrate

 in the "Family HOME"-

and to give thanks for all the blessings 

that have been given from the land

 to this hard-working- German-Swiss Family. 

Here and About- Pleasant Home- Oak Park

Pleasant Home and Mills Park,

in Oak Park, Illinois,

on a brilliant fall day.
The Praire Style house was designed in 1897
 by prominent architect, George W. Maher. 
It is the only Maher building open as a museum.   

The Home is on the National registry

 of Historic Landmarks and sits on five acres. 

Pleasant Home was designed for investment banker 

and philanthropist John W. Farson 

and his wife Mamie Ashworth Farson.

 The design broke with the traditional Queen Anne

 and colonial revival styles

 of most of the homes in Oak Park. 

There is the wonderful expansive porch 

and the use of decorative motifs 

such as the circle, lion's head and rectangular banner

 that unify the spaces and design.

Cleverly named Pleasant Home-

 because it sits

 at the intersection of Pleasant and Home streets.

 The design details are abundant.
Maher was a contemporary of the group
 of Prairie architects that included Joseph Silsbee, 
George Elmslie and Frank Lloyd Wright.
 Maher designed more than 300 buildings
 in the United States.

The newly restored 

mahogany front entry welcomes all guests.

 Carvings, paintings and marble

as well as beautiful stained glass windows
invite close inspection.

The modern day "Tea Room" looking into what 

would have been the formal dining room.
In 1910, John Farson's widow 
sold the home to the family of Herbert Mills.
 This family amassed their fortune
 in the amusement machine business.
Thought the Farson's were known 
for their life of entertainment, 
the Mills family, Herbert and Leonie,
 raised four boys and four girls in the home.

 This home has a wonderful play
 of light and dark,

as well as the draw 
of the outside to the inside. 

  We gathered from across 
the miles for Tea Time,

 to step back into the space 

that beckons from last century,

                                     and dreamed of parties

 given a hundred years ago.

 We sipped tea, ate sandwiches,

and almost "left before dessert".

 When the Mills family owned the house - 

there was the influence 

of the Mills Novelty Company.

We were treated to the music of this

Violana Vituoso.

Pleasant Home is a 30 room study 

of craftsmanship and detail.

Oak carved woodwork, intricate tilework, 

stunning art glass windows and 

the addition of the novelty of electric lighting 

made for a stunning masterpiece from this era.

The library light fixture, remnants of the kitchen 

and a Mills family business- slot machine

 gather to tell a bit of the story.

A lovely day with a glimpse

 into a bygone time.

Thanks Judy May

 and daughter-in-law

Heidi Ruehle May

 for organizing such a wonderful time!

More photos for Pleasant Home here:
Pleasant Home
 Follow them on Pinterest Here:
Pleasant Home Foundation