The Original Tiny House?

A Sunday House in Fredericksburg, Texas.

What is a Texas Sunday House if not the original Tiny House?

The concept of the Texas Sunday house may have been far ahead of its time. Sturdy and straightforward in construction, they were built for short stays in town to socialize, worship, and shop. They were an 1800s solution for those who lived remotely on a ranch and still have access to urban amenities. They were the original Tiny House.

During the 1850s and the 1930s, Texas had many large ranches, but the rural isolation and rarity of places of worship made survival difficult. Sunday Houses were tiny second-home dwellings for farmers and ranchers in Texas and were popular in the 1800s. They were situated in a town, usually grouped in clusters near their place of worship, shopping, and other needs.

Texas Sunday House Site Plan

Why Were Texas Sunday Houses Built?

The tiny homes were the remote ranch families’ version of a weekend getaway. The buckboard journey in town was made for the purpose of provisioning, maybe a local dance, and attending Sunday worship services. Stays usually were no more than a couple of nights unless there was particular business to take care of or medical attention required. The tiny house was intentionally spartan as their primary residence remained out of town.

The Loeffler-Weber Sunday House in Fredericksburg.

The Sunday Houses of Fredricksburg, Texas

By the late 1800s, more than 1,000 German immigrants had populated the area of Fredricksburg, Texas, and over one hundred Sunday Houses had been built. You can still see a group of them on West San Antonio Street by St. Mary’s catholic church. For many German settlements like Fredricksburg, it felt more like a neighborhood of tiny homes.

Sunday House vs. Tiny House

If we compare them to tiny homes, you might say they were the original version. The Average home was usually only 16 ft. X 20 ft (320 sq. Ft.) More often as small as 15 ft X 15ft (225 sq. Ft.)

Compare this to today’s classification for a tiny house to be no more than 400 sq. Ft. the Sunday house was TINY.

Easy to maintain because of their small size, and often they were simply two rooms. Some were two stories with a stairwell outside to access sleeping quarters for children. They were either wood frame or stone structures depending on the regional location.

Design Details

• Simple and totally uncluttered with very few furnishings

• Some plain, others trimmed in gingerbread

• Plank walls, floors, and ceilings.

• Heated by woodstove

• Small porch to extend the home to outside

• Wood frame or stone

• “Kitchen” was often in the back behind the building

The Texas Sunday House Today

By the 1920s, automobiles replaced horse-drawn buggies, and getting to town was shorter in time and more convenient. As a result, fewer Sunday homes were built, and adaptations were made to the originals.

Today, the remaining Texas Sunday houses can be found on VRBO and Expedia, with some commanding $350.00 per night or more. Two examples of rentals are The Weber House which was built in 1905, and the Metzger Sunday House was built in 1898. They are privately owned and available for overnight stays.

The historical value of these tiny houses has been recognized, and the cost per square foot is high, but you might still find one available to purchase. If you are in Fredricksburg, Texas, visit the Pioneer Museum. which was built in 1904 and itself is only 16 ft. by 20 ft. The architectural history is chronicled here, and more tiny houses span the 3.5 acres along West Main Street, where you can enjoy a self-guided walking tour of these historic homes, or a guided tour may be available.

Blueprint For A Second Home?

Perhaps we might consider this concept as we look to the future. Rural and remote locations are often where home purchase prices are more favorable but just as often lack amenities. A tiny house project near an urban area might offer an easy way to be a second homeowner and blend the best of both worlds, just like the Texas Sunday House.

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