New Braunfels, Texas
Address
1370 Church Hill Drive
New Braunfels, TX 78130

Museum Type(s)

Staff

Chere Stratemann
phone:
e-mail:
Description

Heritage Village, Home of the Museum of Texas Hand Made Furniture in New Braunfels, TX is one of more than 15,400 museums in the MuseumsUSA directory. Find an exciting museum to visit where you live or vacation today.

History

The Braunfels Foundation Trust, an arm of the Greater New Braunfels Chamber of Commerce, to showcase a historic home and valuable collection of over 75 pieces of early Texas handmade furniture founded the Museum of Texas Handmade Furniture in 1984 and after Bill and Nan Dillen, local collectors and conservationists, donated their property and collection to the Trust. The Trust then formed the Heritage Society of New Braunfels, Inc., a 501 ( c ) (3) organization, to manage the museum. The Museum showcases the unique German heritage of New Braunfels with special recognition of the accomplishments of German cabinetmakers that helped settle the area.

For the past sixteen years the museum has been open for public tours throughout the year. Donations have expanded our furniture collection to close to a hundred pieces. Activities at the museum include two Elderhostel programs in the spring of the year, Folkfest the first weekend in April, and Christmas Candlelight Tour the first Saturday in December. These events are in conjunction with the other historic museums in our community working under the umbrella, New Braunfels Historic Museums Association. During Wurstfest, first ten days of November, the Heritage Society sponsors Heritage Antique Market and Exhibit at the New Braunfels Civic Center to benefit our historic preservation efforts and promote our community's unique heritage.

Costumed docents conduct individual tours of the site that includes the historic Breustedt-Dillen house with over seventy-five pieces of early Texas handmade furniture, white English ironstone collection, cabinetmaker's shop, and 1847 Reininger log cabin.

In the fall of 1999 the Braunfels Trust deeded the Museum with 9.5 surrounding acres along with its collection and maintenance trust fund to the Heritage Society of New Braunfels. In the spring of 2000, the Board of Directors voted to change the name from Museum of Texas Handmade Furniture to "Heritage Village, Home of the Museum of Texas Handmade Furniture, to reflect additions that will be made to the complex in years to come. The Museum has just received a $17,500 Community Development Grant from the Lower Colorado River Authority to aid in the construction of a covered pavilion with restrooms and catering kitchen to be used for museum events and rentals. Heritage Pavilion is scheduled for completion in January 2001.

Artifact Collections

Over seventy pieces of early Texas handmade furniture made by in-large German cabinetmakers who settled in New Bruaunfels from 1845-1880. Housed in German fachwerk house. 1847 log cabin, cabinetmaker's shop, English ironstone collection.

Educational Programs

We have a docent training program every spring for two half-day sessions. It was developed by former docents and guest lecturers. Current docents administer the program for new docents and for docent continuing education.

Publications

"Visitors's Guide to the Museum of Texas Handmade Furniture", edited by Chere Stratemann; Monthly newsletter to the membership.

Exhibitions
Museum Events
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