Homesite of Johann and Gertruda Walzem Johann Joseph and Anna Gertruda Walzem came to Texas from Prussia c. 1851. In 1859, the State of Texas officially granted them the land they had settled (160 acres), including this homesite. Johann was a stonemason. He and his sons built the home and barn, as well as nearby St. John Chapel. They also dug four cisterns on the property. Starting in 1871, the land passed to the Walzem's children: Johann, Gertrude, Andreas, Heinrich and Peter. The home, built in stages of stone from the site, served as a school for the local children in the 1860s. The barn also may have been used as a home. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 2002