Constructed in 1849 with local limestone, mortar and cypress lumber, this building includes elements of Alsatian domestic architecture found in Castroville. The 18-inch-thick walls were originally coated with a whitewashed lime plaster, while split cypress shingles covered the gabled roof. It was first a house, store, and post office for Swiss merchant Caesar Monod. By the 1860s, John and Rowena Vance added a wing for the store and a second story for guest rooms. The Vance Hotel, with a nearby bath house and kitchen, gave comfort to travelers on the Eagle Pass - San Antonio Road. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1965