By the time he became the “Father of Texas botany,” Ferdinand Lindheimer had already lived the adventures of 10 men. He’d escaped Germany after being accused of inciting revolution. Flatboated down the Mississippi River to New Orleans with friends. Run banana and pineapple plantations in Mexico. And joined the Texian Army in its fight for independence. But Lindheimer’s crowning achievement – what he’s known for – is collecting and identifying as many as 100,000 plant specimens from the Texas prairie.

One of the finest examples of traditional fachwerk construction – in which timber beams are infilled with brick or rock, and sometimes covered with plaster – the Lindheimer house has two front rooms, each with its own front door, which was common with Germans but uncommon with their Anglo neighbors. The home is now preserved as a museum by the New Braunfels Conservation Society.

Watch our German Texan Building Techniques video to learn more about German Texan cultural heritage in Texas. This video was produced for inclusion in our German Texans mobile tour found in our Texas Time Travel Tours mobile app. Download the app for more videos and travel information: