SNAPSHOTS FROM THE SQUARE

Look closely at the picture of the SW corner of the Lavaca County Courthouse square,  You will see a small one story building sandwiched between the two story brick building to its right and an impressive three story building to its left. 

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Located on the SW corner of the Lavaca County Courthouse square is a two story, red brick structure built in 1917.  This 100 year old building is the home of the City of Hallettsville. 

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He paused for a moment before beginning the climb up the stairs to his studio.  He could not remember how many times he had walked up this same flight of stairs over the past forty five years.  Granted, he still loved his work; the opportunity to help people capture a special moment in their lives; the excited faces of a new bride and groom, a cheerful and plump new baby or an event unfolding outside his studio window on the courthouse square below.

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As he walked down Fourth St toward his new building it gave him time to think.  When he really thought about it, he didn’t know what he liked better, saddles, buggies or cars.  Granted, he had been in the saddle and harness business since he was a young man, but he recognized, maybe before a lot of others in town, that cars were the future. 

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The idea that Hallettsville needed a local opera house was first reported in the Hallettsville Herald as early as 1891.  Mr. Charles S. Eberhardt, representing the firm of Gordon & Laub, San Antonio architects, was in Hallettsville in May of 1891.

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The two brothers considered their options as they strolled around the Lavaca County Courthouse square that December morning.  1892 was coming to a close and they realized that vacant lots on the square were becoming scarce. They needed to make a decision.

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F. W. Neuhaus knew what he wanted.  He hadn’t achieved the level of success that he now enjoyed, both financially and socially, without having a plan.  When he looked at the corner of the courthouse square that he was about to purchase, his vision did not include the aging two story wooden building that now rested there.

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The reporter was aware that everyone in town knew Andrew Stankiewicz. For over 20 years, if someone needed to purchase a piece of jewelry or his clock fixed, Andrew was the man for the job. 

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What do you mean you found a bone?”  William von Rosenberg said in disbelief as he peered into the very large hole in front of him.  “Yes, Mr. von Rosenberg”, one of the workmen said, “we found the bone while digging the piers for the foundation and we need to know what you want to do with it.”

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The Past is Still Visible  normally focuses on one building on the square. This story is different in that the story of these two building is so intertwined that it is complicated to separate one from the other. So in this article the story of the Woods building and the Neuhaus addition will be told as one story.  

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