Tewes House

Duane's take

Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about the Tewes House in Guadalupe County. Now settle in, because this one's got some miles on it. We're talking about a house built in the 1870s, limestone and masonry and stucco, sitting right there in Guadalupe County like it's been waiting for you to notice it.

And honestly, after everything it's seen, it's earned that kind of patience. The man who built it, Carl August Edward Tewes, came over from Germany in 1854. That's a long way to travel, and Texas is a long way from anywhere you started.

He survived the Civil War as a veteran, got himself established as a merchant in Guadalupe County, and then took on the job of postmaster in New Berlin. Not for a year or two, mind you. For twenty-six years.

That is a man who showed up. Every day, for twenty-six years, somebody in New Berlin needed their mail handled, and Carl Tewes was the one doing it. Inside that limestone house, he and his wife Texanna Wooten Newton were raising their children, living out the kind of life that pioneer families built one hard season at a time.

The house itself follows a central hall plan, which is one of those early designs that just made sense, and it stands as an example of early pioneer construction in this part of Texas. What really gets you, though, is the staying power. The Tewes family held onto that house until 1976.

From the 1870s to 1976. The limestone held, the family held, and the story held right along with them.

What the marker says

Built in the 1870s, this limestone, masonry and stucco house was the home of Carl August Edward Tewes, his wife Texanna Wooten Newton, and their children. Tewes immigrated from Germany in 1854, was a Civil War veteran, became a merchant in Guadalupe County, and served as postmaster in New Berlin for 26 years. The house remained in the Tewes family until 1976. It features a central hall plan and is an example of an early pioneer house. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1996