Built in 1907 for Julius Frederick “Jule” Remschel and his wife Luella (McLeod) Remschel, this one-story New Orleans Raised Cottage was designed by an architect recorded as Warrenburger and constructed by local builder Fred Meisenhelder. Set on brick columns made by the Gonzales Sunset Brick & Tile Company and clad in locally sourced cypress siding, the house expresses Gulf-coast sensibilities adapted to inland Texas: elevated massing for airflow and moisture control, a deep porch/gallery, tall windows, and a gracious center-hall family plan. Interiors feature intricate inlaid parquet floors and longleaf pine millwork that showcase the homeowners’ connection to the regional lumber trade.
Family & business context
Jule Remschel (b. May 26, 1870, likely Indianola, Texas) was the son of Julius Heinrich Remschel, a Berlin-born immigrant who arrived in the United States around 1855. In the early 1870s, J. H. Remschel established a lumber yard in Indianola. After devastating hurricanes depopulated that port, he relocated several times before settling in Gonzales in 1882, where he founded what became the Remschel Brothers Lumber Company. Following J. H.’s death in 1894, sons Julius F. and Richard A. continued the business. Jule married Luella McLeod (b. March 24, 1873, daughter of Thomas Ward McLeod and Addie Virginia David McLeod) on April 27, 1899; they later adopted Corinne Stone Remschel. The family operated the lumber yard continuously until 1993, linking the house to more than a century of local building and materials supply.
Later history & restoration
Corinne Remschel lived in the home until her death on November 11, 1992. The property was purchased from her estate in 1993 and restored to its original splendor, retaining its raised-cottage character, period woodwork, and parquet floors. Jule died August 18, 1954; Luella died May 25, 1967. Both are interred with family in the I.O.O.F. Cemetery in Gonzales.