Schmidt Barn, Fredericksburg

Charles and Loretta Schmidt, both German speakers who trace their families to Fredericksburg's founders, can claim much of the credit for the transformation of their sleepy town into Texas's B&B capital. After they restored an 1860s farmhouse as their own residence, they turned their attention to the roofless remains of a century-old barn in the backyard.

By 1983, the Schmidts had transformed it into one of the city's first guest houses and launched the Gastehaus Schmidt Reservation Service, which now books the great majority of the city's more than 90 such establishments.

The downstairs living area of the tastefully furnished barn features a comfortable sleeper sofa and a rustic kitchen and bath, both accented with blue-and-white terrazzo tile; a sunken tile tub is the bathroom's highlight. The bedroom is in an upstairs loft.

The Schmidts are happy to furnish firewood for the antique wood-burning stove; they also stock the house's refrigerator with a German-style breakfast of meats, cheese, and pastries.

Location: 231 W. Main St., Fredericksburg

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