The history of Herzog Mansion reaches back to the earliest years of Hermann, Missouri. The first recorded deed associated with the property dates to 1843, decades before William Herzog assembled the estate and began construction of the mansion in 1885. Completed in 1886, the house has since passed through generations of owners, survived changes in use and alterations to the property, operated for decades as a bed and breakfast, and is once again a private family home undergoing an ongoing restoration.
Our research into the mansion continues as we uncover historic photographs, deeds, newspaper accounts, architectural records, family histories, and other documents. The pages below bring together what we have learned about the house, the property, and the people connected to it.
William Herzog
Learn about William Herzog, the German immigrant, businessman, and Stone Hill Wine Company partner who built Herzog Mansion, as well as his family, career, and contributions to Hermann.
Timeline
Explore a chronological timeline of significant events in the history of the property, from its earliest recorded deeds through the construction of the mansion, successive owners, preservation efforts, and the current restoration.
→ Timeline
Architectural Inventory
The architectural inventory presents the 1985 Missouri Historic Architectural Inventory and preservation survey documenting the mansion’s German Renaissance Revival architecture, original materials, craftsmanship, and distinctive exterior features.
Title History
The title history traces the recorded ownership of the property from 1843 to the present, including the assembly of William Herzog’s estate, the later division and reunification of the property, and the succession of owners documented through Gasconade County land records.
Bed and Breakfast
For several decades, the mansion welcomed guests as Birk’s Gasthaus and later the Herzog Mansion Bed and Breakfast. The Bed and Breakfast collection preserves advertisements and other material from this period in the mansion’s history.
Historical Map
View the mansion’s location on a 1913 plat map of Hermann, published when the house was already twenty-seven years old.
Owners
The owners section explores the people and families who played substantial roles in the mansion’s history. Dedicated pages bring together photographs, research, alterations to the property, and other information associated with individual periods of ownership.
→ Owners
Citations & Sources
Our historical research is based on deeds, probate records, newspaper accounts, architectural surveys, photographs, family records, and other primary and secondary sources. The citations page collects many of the documents used to research and preserve the history of Herzog Mansion.