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Settlers Crossing, Fredericksburg,
Texas
Ever wondered what it was like for German settlers on the American
frontier in the 19th century? You and your clan can spend the weekend
in your own "Little Haus on the Prairie" at Settlers Crossing,
a 35-acre tract located in the rolling countryside between Luckenbach
and Fredericksburg. Dotted
by log cabins, mesquite trees, and friendly farm animals, this is
easily the best family-oriented B&B in the Hill Country.
Of course, the German settlers didn't have access
to a Jacuzzi---a feature of the luxurious Von Heinrich Home, one
of four guest houses on the estate of hosts David and Judy Bland.
The structures are close enough to one another to be convenient
for groups or family reunions, but far enough apart to allow for
private getaways.
The Pioneer Homestead, a stone-and-log cabin original
to the property, was constructed in the 1850s by the Kusenberger
family, German immigrants who were among Fredericksburg's first
settlers. The modern appliances in the full kitchen of the two-bedroom
house are skillfully tucked away to preserve a feeling of authenticity.
The most striking feature is a robin's-egg-blue stenciled ceiling,
painted when the house was built. Also original to the grounds,
the Baag Farm House was built in the 1920s as a wedding gift for
a Kusenberger descendant. The simple, blue wood-frame house has
a wood-burning stove and antique dining room table that seats eight.
Outside the Indiana House, you may well encounter
bleating sheep, grazing goats, and braying donkeys, who like to
approach the split-rail fence surrounding the house. The log cabin
was built in the Hoosier state in 1849 and transported to Settlers
Common by the Blands. The mood of the living room is set by an antique
camelback sofa; the high-ceiling master bedroom features a queen-size,
four-poster bed with acorn finials. The hosts live in a nearby three-story
house imported from Kentucky.
But the most remarkable guest home on the property
is the Von Heinrich Home, a two-story German fachwerk cottage built
in Pennsylvania in 1787. Inside is an outstanding collection of
19th-century folk art, including an antique horse sculpture and
an old hooked rug over the fireplace.
Location: Settlers Crossing
Rd., Fredericksburg
Return to Fredericksburg
Travel Guide
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