The Weinert House, 1207 N. Austin
Special by Seguin Conservation Society
(Seguin) — The Seguin Conservation Society is proud to present its 29th Holiday Home Tour. After a two-year hiatus, we are eager to show off some of Seguin’s history all dressed up for the Holidays.
We are proud to feature the Weinert House. Built in 1895 in the Queen Anne Victorian architecture style, Ferdinand C. Weinert employed McAdoo and Wooley to design this grand dame. Mr. Weinert was a merchant and politician from Seguin, Texas who served in the Texas Legislature as a Senator for eight years, as well as serving as Secretary of State. He then became the state’s first commissioner of markets and warehouses. He was later appointed by Governor Moody as state tax commissioner and was largely credited with exemption of homesteads from taxation.
Senator Weinert and his wife Clara Bading Weinert had four boys and three girls. They moved into this beautiful home when the youngest boy Rudolph, was one year old. F.C’s daughters, Ella Weinert and Clara Weinert Breustedt, lived in the home until they died. Then in accordance with his will, the last surviving daughter Kathinka Weinert Eilers took ownership. She in turn sold the house to her niece Johnnye Jean Weinert Lovett. It remained in family use until it was sold in 1992.
The structure is entirely wood and originally had long leaf pine floors in all spaces except the second story turret bedroom which had white maple wood floors. The interior walls were plastered white and had a stenciled Victorian design in the frieze area (the space between the picture rail and ceiling). There is a cellar below the structure that contained a cistern to collect rainwater from the roof gutters. The exterior was originally painted beige, with rust and gray trim and topped in a green roof. The porch ceilings were all light blue.
The property once had a barn, carriage house, smokehouse and washroom and the entire yard was surrounded with a picket fence. A horse drawn trolley ran in front of the house into downtown Seguin. The Weinert Street side of the house had porches that were expanded into a screened sleeping porch and a” glass room.” Sisters Ella and Clara had a grape arbor in back that led to the outbuildings and plum trees lined the north side of the yard. Over the years and multiple owners, obvious changes have been made to include a lovely guest house, patio, and large pool. The current owner is TJ Jones.
A visit to this home takes you back over a century and features one of Seguin’s greatest historical figures. Enjoy this house and reminisce to a time when life was much simpler and the pace a bit slower. Imagine hopping on that trolley car to ride into town.
Tickets are available at Gift & Gourmet, Keepers Interiors, the Chamber Office or on-line at thetexas.org. Tickets are $20 pre-sale or $25 day at the door.