In early April, we spent five days exploring the Texas Hill Country, our favorite region of the state. We did the usual Hill Country things, including visiting former President Lyndon B. Johnson’s ranch, climbing to the top of Enchanted Rock, exploring local museums and visiting some of the area’s many shops, galleries and wineries. Germans originally settled the region, so we felt a personal responsibility to sample Texas beer and eat an occasional bratwurst.

We had visited the Hill Country on several occasions but one of our goals this time was to learn more about a unique style of living in this region during its settlement era, Sunday houses. To get a better feel for these structures, we spent our nights in a replica Sunday house in Fredericksburg, a Hill Country community that celebrates its historical roots.

Fredericksburg was settled in 1846 by immigrants who arrived with assistance from a German organization whose goal it was to establish settlements in the Republic of Texas. The promise of 320 acres per family failed to materialize and over 500 of the first settlers were given a town lot plus 10 acres outside town. Later arrivals received only 10 acres outside of town.

By the late 1890’s many settlers were living in outlying areas with distances too great for traveling to church and returning home by horse and buggy on the same day. Thus, many families went to Fredericksburg on Saturday and spent the night with friends or family members who lived in town so they could attend church on Sunday.

The need to stay overnight resulted in many families purchasing a town lot and building a Sunday “haus,” preferably near the church where they worshiped. Sunday houses were small with only basic essentials, including a cast-iron stove, beds and perhaps a stack of pallets and pillows. Families ate Sunday meals at the house, so they needed a table and chairs or benches, plus necessary kitchen items and food.

The number of family members influenced the size of homes. The majority had one room with a lean-to kitchen in the rear. They often included an outdoor staircase to an attic where the children slept. Larger families might have two rooms downstairs and two rooms upstairs. Most of the houses had a covered front porch.

Sunday houses were occasionally used during the week when family members were in town to shop, see a doctor or attend a special event, such as a funeral. In some instances, the Sunday house was used as a retirement home for grandparents.

Arrival of the automobile eliminated the need for Sunday houses, but many still stand. Evelyn Weinheimer, head of program and archives at Fredericksburg’s Pioneer Museum, said she didn’t know the exact number of Fredericksburg Sunday homes remaining because some had been added to and converted into permanent homes.

Fredericksburg is a great town for walking or bicycling, and during our strolls we noticed some Sunday houses had been converted into visitor accommodations. Jessica Davis, property manager and owner of several Sunday houses, told us some rent for around $90 a night. She said many owners don’t rent for a profit, but rather to cover taxes and maintenance in order to keep the history of these homes alive.

Viewed from the outside, the small houses with their covered porches look much like when they were first built. However, most have been modernized with indoor plumbing, heat and air conditioning, and some added a kitchen. Furnishings would no longer be classified as “bare essentials.” Today it would be like living in a large, comfortable dollhouse.

During our visit, we spent four nights in a Sunday house replica at the Fredericksburg Herb Farm. Owners Rosemary and Dick Estenson rent 14 cottages designed as Sunday houses with a covered porch complete with porch swing and rockers. Each cottage has one large room with a king bed and a sitting area. The bathroom with a large shower is under a sloped rear roof. From outside, the bathroom area looks like a lean-to.

Sunday house interiors are generally small, with a queen or king bed taking up much of the main room, but staying overnight in a Sunday house is a refreshing change of pace from the ordinary motel or hotel. We spent time relaxing in the front porch swing, and enjoyed walking next door to visit with our neighbors on their front porch. One afternoon we talked with owner Rosemary Estenson as she was working in the nearby herb garden. The Estensons said building the cottages was a way for them to help preserve Fredericksburg history. It appears they succeeded.

Location: Fredericksburg is 65 miles north of San Antonio and 70 miles west of Austin. Visit www.VisitFredericksburgTX.com, or call 888-997-3600.

Lodging: Gastehaus Schmidt Reservation Service manages several original Sunday houses; visit www.fbglodging.com or call 866-427-8374. The Fredericksburg Herb Farm rents replica Sunday houses. Visit www.fredericksburgherbfarm.com, or call 830-997-8615.

Dining: German food is the specialty at Der Lindenbaum and Otto’s German Bistro. We can also recommend Navajo Grill, The Peach Tree Tea Room, Pedernales Brewing Company, Burger Burger and Backwoods BBQ.