HISTORY: "The Wernette-McGinnis house on old Fredericksburg Road south of Dietz-Elkhorn is a magnificent pioneer structure dating back to the 1850's. Records do not show precisely when the house was built, but 1,176 acres of land in the W. H. Hughes Survey No. 173, Bexar County Abstract 340, was conveyed to Hughes by Republic of Texas Patent No. 2831. It was sold to Enoch Jones, April 10, 1838.
Henry Bitter bought the 1,176 acres and all improvements at a court sale April 8, 1868 for $574.00. In 1878 H. W. Bitter and wife, Francesca, sold the property to Bernard and Elsie Monken for $2,00.00. They, in turn sold 270 acres to Charles and Amalia Wernette in 1906. (Wernette family came to Texas with the Castro Colony in 1844.)
Obviously, the Wernettes didn't build the beautiful old house, because architectural signs date back to a much earlier period. Also, it is said to have served as a stage coach rest stop in the 1860's-70's. The Wernette's did, however, own the place for more than 50 years.--until Amalia, a widow, sold the home and 56 acres to Will A. Schmidt in 1858. The Wernette's raised three children here--John Henry, Silva, and Edna Wernette.
The Joe Bowman family, relatives of the Wernettes, also lived in the old rock house for several years during the 1920's and 30's. They had 13 children-seven boys and six girls. John L. Bowman, son of John J. Bowman (one of the seven boys) still lives on Dietz- Elkhorn Road.

Mrs. Harold M. Phillip (Lois Nancy Wernette) is the daughter of John Henry Wernette, and is the only direct descendant of the Charles Wernette family still living in the Boerne area."

At the time this article was written, Jack M. McGinnis, A San Antonio attorney, and his wife, Susan, owned this house. They restored it to is present condition.

Source: Boerne Public Library files; from an article by Garland Perry appearing in the Boerne Star; February, 2000.

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