Nacogdoches Downtown Historic District
Forest Trail Region
Nacogdoches owes much of its built environment to the design of one man: Diedrich Rulfs. Rulfs, who was born, educated and married in Germany, immigrated to Texas in 1879. Over the next 40 years, he designed dozens of private and commercial structures across East Texas – many of them here in Nacogdoches. He used a variety of architectural styles, significantly influencing the aesthetic of Nacogdoches as it transitioned from frontier town to enterprising city around the turn of the 20th century.
Many of the homes, churches, and commercial buildings Rulfs designed are still standing and viewable on a downtown architectural walking tour developed by the city.