LISTEN TO AN AUDIO CLIP

Vereins Kirche, or Society Church, was constructed in 1847 in the center of Fredericksburg’s Main Street and surrounded by the Marktplatz. Its octagonal design was modeled after Charlemagne’s Palatine Chapel, built in Aachen, Germany in 796 A.D., and incorporated the use of half-timbered Fachwerk construction, commonly used in Central Texas architecture of the mid-1800s. Some said it looked like a Kaffemuehle, a coffee mill, and the nickname stuck.

The church, built by the Adelsverein, was used by many religious groups for their services and also served as a school, town hall, and in 1896, a pavilion for the 50th anniversary celebration of Fredericksburg’s founding. Eventually the building fell out of use, and its location proved to obstruct Main Street traffic. In 1897 it was razed, only to be replicated and opened as a museum in 1936, in a more suitable location off the street.

The current Vereins Kirche, now constructed of stone instead of Fachwerk, is part of the Pioneer Museum, offering changing exhibits about the city’s history. You’re likely to learn something new with every visit.