Historic Vogelsang Building 

Built in 1910 

One of the oldest buildings located in the heart of Historic Downtown Rosenberg, The Vogelsang building was built in 1910 by Jacob Gray.

This building was leased by Louis A. Vogelsang (1874-1961) in 1912 for his general merchandise business. Vogelsang bought the property in 1922, and continued to operate his store at this site until 1947.

The Vogelsang Building has been kept in the family since 1912, and today is owned by Bob Vogelsang, Louis' grandson. Bob and his wife Marcia have been bringing new life to old Rosenberg structures and memories for over 35 years, honoring family traditions going back over 100 years. 

 

Robert L. Vogelsang and Marcia P. Vogelsang

Historic Rosenberg, Texas

Located 35 miles southwest of Houston, Rosenberg was founded on a site in the original Mexican land grant of early settler Henry Scott - where a small, nameless shipping point existed on the Brazos River. The town developed after the Gulf Colorado & Santa Fe (GC&SF) Railroad arrived in 1880 and built a station where it crossed the Buffalo, Brazos & Colorado Railroad. In 1881, Count Joseph Telfener, an Italian investor, set up offices in the fledgling community to build the New York, Texas & Mexican Railway, which extended to Victoria and was coined the “Macaroni Line” after the Italian immigrants who built the line.

In 1883, the GC&SF Railroad bought and plotted a 200-acre site. The community was named after the railroad’s president - Henry von Rosenberg of Galveston. R. T. Mulcahy (coined the "Father of Rosenberg"). For 40 years, he promoted schools, business, and government for the city. The first newspaper, The Silver X-Ray, was founded in 1895 and the Methodist and Baptist churches were active before 1900. In 1912, city water and electric lights came to the city, along with the chartering of one of the first Boy Scout troops in Texas.

By 1920, oil and sulphur discoveries, along with highway development, made Rosenberg a center of trade and steady growth. In the 1940s, Rosenberg was known as the “Hub of the Gulf Coast”. Today, Rosenberg is experiencing unprecedented growth in commercial and residential development while holding tight to its roots and charm. Rosenberg is proud to be home to the Fort Bend County Fairgrounds and the annual Fort Bend County Fair, one of the largest and most successful county fairs in the state - featuring over 700 livestock exhibits and 4100 competitive exhibits to 200,000 visitors each year.