as it appeared around 1890 is shown to the left.  The house was built in 1884 by the present owner’s Great Granduncle, Paul Meerscheidt, who had purchased the land to build his home from his older brother Axel.  Both brothers were attorneys in La Grange for a number of years before relocating to San Antonio where they continued their law practice.  The two were also heavily involved in real estate ventures & participated in the development of the renowned King William area.
 

The Meerscheidt House is an example of a late Victorian style residence and undoubtedly made a bold statement on the architectural scene of La Grange at the time that it was built.  Its whimsical roof design of alternating bands of “fish scale” and conventional rectangular wooden shakes painted in various shades of color must have evoked surprise & amusement from the local citizenry.  The playfulness of form was again reflected at its porch railings where geometric patterns punctuated with regularly spaced, square-shaped, medallion inserts, graced the front & rear galleries of the house.  Pictures in the above photograph below the home’s large bay window are the present owner’s 2nd Great Grandparents, John & Marguerite Speckels along with their daughter, Meta, who lived next door with her husband Louis Walter.  John & Marguerite purchased the property in 1890 from Paul Meerscheidt & lived their until each of their deaths.  Louis & Meta Walter bought the Meerscheidt House in 1915 and leased it to the present owner’s Grandparents, Newton & Lillian Rabensburg.  The present owner’s father, Aubrey H. Rabensburg, was born to Newton & Lillian, in the Rose Bedroom, on July 22, 1916.

was purchased in August 2001 by Neale Rabensburg, formerly of Houston. The house had remained in Neale’s family continuously from the time that it was built in 1884 until his Grandfather, Newton Joseph Rabensburg, sold it in 1955 to a non-relative. After 46 years, Neale has once again returned ownership to a direct descendant of the home’s earliest occupants. The front elevation of the Meerscheidt House as it appears today can be seen in the photograph to the left.
 

The Meerscheidt House had already been designated a Texas Historic Monument at the time Neale bought the property. A dedication ceremony for the placement of a monument granting historic status by the State of Texas had been held a few years earlier in February 1995. Shortly after purchase, Neale commenced with the addition of 64 new piers. The house was hydraulically lifted over a 5 month period to attain the elevation above ground that it had been when originally built in 1884. The house had lost its monumental scale about 1970 when it was moved about 20 feet to the south & lowered to a new but less dramatic pier foundation system. The 64 concrete & brick piers installed by Neale in 2001-2002 restored the home’s original monumental scale. Unfortunately, the lifting & leveling took its toll on the interior walls & ceilings, which suffered cosmetic cracks & separations. For the most part, these defects have been corrected & the interior repainted. The cosmetic repairs & modifications included the restoration &/or addition of trim moldings as well as the installation of period light fixtures. Exterior repairs & modifications also commenced after the completion of the foundation work & included the installation of a new roof & all new plumbing lines within the expanded crawl space beneath the house.

Current plans call for the renovation of the front porch, which at one time was architecturally more dramatic with a 2-story portico & upper balcony & railing. Seven columns, which had been removed from the porch over the years, will also be restored affording more architectural interest to the front façade of the house. A multi-colored exterior paint palate is also in the works & should be implemented in the near future. Further interior modifications are also in the planning stages & include the restoration of the original 12-foot high beaded board ceilings in the formal dining room & kitchen.

as it appears today is shown to the left. Neale Rabensburg bought it in December 2001 and commenced with a major renovation of the interior one month later. The Green Haus is contiguous with the Meerscheidt House along its rear property line. The two properties are also connected via a common driveway that affords thru-drive access between the streets of N. Monroe & N. Jackson.
 

The Green Haus is thought to be the oldest house on Block #1 of the original town tract of La Grange, Texas. The front part of the house & kitchen were built prior to 1880 & may be of the immediate post Civil War era. The massive live oak tree that dwarfs the house at the front is estimated to be 350 years of age or older. The kitchen had originally been separated from the main house but later linked by the addition of another room now used as the formal dining room. A carport/garage & bedroom with connecting bath were added much later.

The main structure of the Green Haus, which is along the front, is marked with 10.5 foot tall ceilings & wide-plank pine wood floors. In its original configuration, the house had 3 large rooms; one being a central hallway with access doors at either end that opened onto front & rear porch galleries. The kitchen probably remained separate from the main house until the advent of the cast iron stove, which ushered in the era of the modern kitchen & allowed for safe cooking in the main house structure.

Today, the Green Haus is in a 2-bedroom, 2.5 bath configuration including spacious formal living & dining rooms, an updated kitchen with recent kitchen cabinets & appliances; an added laundry room; central air & heat; and recent ceiling lights, chandeliers, ceiling fans & plumbing fixtures. Close attention was given to detail in order to preserve the home’s historical character by choosing fixtures & trim moldings that were compatible with the time period when the house built.