Schulenburg: Sengelmann Hall

Schulenburg: Sengelmann Hall

  • <p>Two storey storefront with large sign saying Sengelmann Hall</p>
  • <p>Sengelmann Hall, 1894 (Stern and Bucek Architects)</p> <p>1894 photo of men standing in front of two storey Sengelmann Brothers building. Other signs on building say Two Brothers Anheuser Busch Finest Production, Edgewood Whiskey, and Lunch at All Hours</p>
  • <p>Senglemann’s bar.</p> <p>Bar with large wooden, mirrored barback</p>
  • <p>Original saloon. (Stern and Bucek Architects)</p> <p>Group of men lined up for a photograph in a saloon – barback is visible</p>
  • <p>Band at Texas Polka Festival, 2014. (Library of Congress)</p> <p>Band playing on stage with large sign saying Sengelmann Hall in back against windows</p>
  • <p>Restored dance hall. (Stern and Bucek Architects)</p> <p>People dancing in a large hall with wooden floor and large, arched windows on one end</p>
  • <p>Turner Hall</p> <p>Building with terraced façade, boarded up windows, and a faded U.S. flag painted at the top</p>

A dance hall and men’s-only saloon, Sengelmann Hall made Schulenburg a popular stopping-off point for travelers between Houston and San Antonio from the time it was built in 1894. The hall remained central to the German-Czech community until the 1940s, when it closed and began to fall into disrepair. Restored and re-opened in 2009, boots again scoot across the hall’s original wood floors. Glasses clink and laughter rises from the old restaurant and bar, which serves regional Czech and German dishes. Wedding bells now chime for couples choosing to marry in the historic hall. Sengelmann Hall was awarded the National Preservation Award in 2010.

A few blocks away in Wolters Park, the Schulenberg Turnverein, a gymnastic club, built Turner Hall in 1886. It continues to serve as a community center today.

Sengelmann Hall

  • Check website for public dances schedule
  • 531 N. Main St., Schulenburg, TX
  • 979-743-2300
  • Visit Website
  • National Register of Historic Places