Mission Statement: To teach current and future generations the history, culture, and traditions of Fredericksburg and Gillespie County for the advancement of knowledge and preservation of our proud heritage.
The Gillespie County Historical Society (GCHS) was formed in 1935 to make sure we never forgot our roots and the people and events that created the extraordinarily successful community we have now.
The first Pioneer Museum site was the Vereins Kirche, which is located in the 100 block of West Main Street. The Vereins Kirche is a 1935 replica of the original structure and is now an extension of the Pioneer Museum.
In 1955, the Society bought the historic Kammlah House and Store, which included a smokehouse and barn. The Kammlah family is a founding family, and generations of them occupied this property from 1847 to 1955. The Historical Society purchased the entire homestead as the first step in creating what is now the Pioneer Museum Complex site.
With other purchases and donations by the Society, the Pioneer Museum site has grown to encompass three acres and 11 buildings, nine buildings of which are historic structures and included on a tour of the Pioneer Museum grounds. The Society has over 40,000 artifacts within its rich and diverse collection. We continue to collect artifacts and archives that are specific to the founding and development of Gillespie County.