The Rosebud History

The Rosebud was built in the 1870s by stonemason Charles Jung for farmer-rancher Fritz Kneese. Mr. Jung also constructed the two other historic stone homes to the west of the Rosebud on Schubert Street, and he lived in the home next door to the Rosebud. The main house still boasts the nearly 2-foot thick stone walls, which were transported to Fredericksburg by wagon. To haul the heavy stone upstairs, the builders would erect a “lauf bahn” or runway built from hand hewn lumber and use a crude stretcher to haul the rocks to the scaffolding where the stone mason was working.

Today, the Rosebud still sits on the nearly 1/2-acre original Townlot 527 in the heart of Fredericksburg. While Sunday Houses were common in Fredericksburg at this time, The Rosebud was constructed as a much larger primary dwelling. The home became just that in 1907 to Louis Cansler Gibson and his family of 11. Over the years, The Rosebud has been the host of many social gatherings, including a wedding in 1875, and was home to a number of prominent families, including Judge and Mrs. Clarence Martin, President Lyndon B. Johnson’s uncle and aunt. (The Martins went on to acquire a ranch to the east of town near Stonewall. Years later in 1951, Mrs. Martin conveyed that ranch to her nephew. That property is now known as the LBJ Ranch National Historic Park.)

While the Rosebud went through several architectural iterations over the years, it was ultimately restored to its original design. More details about this historic property are available in Historic Homes in and Around Fredericksburg, by Elise Kowert, who used to live across the street from the property. (A copy of this book is available for guests to view in the Rosebud.)

It is evident when you walk into the home that it has been well loved. We’re thrilled to open The Rosebud’s doors to the public for the first time.