County of house: Gasconade County
Location of house: Bayer Rd., between 14th St, & MO-H, Hermann
Phone: 573-486-9169
"Hermann is ripe with many historic properties reflecting the early years as a world-renowned winemaking area. No doubt about it, the first settlers knew the art of cultivating grapes and turning out high-quality wines.
"The Stone Haus Bed and Breakfast property is historically described as the Michels-Bersinger winery complex. It is an excellent example of the winery complex built by the small- to- modest scale ethnic German winegrowers of the area.
"According to records, the first owners of the property were brothers John and William Michels, who emigrated from Prussia with their parents in the late 1840s. By day, John worked as a laborer, and in the 1860 census, his career is listed as a “vinedresser,” meaning a person who prunes, trains, and cultivates grapevines. The Michels brothers showed no wine production in 1860, which means the vineyards were new and not producing wine- quality grapes at that time.
"The earliest building on this property was a stone constructed press house with an open joist cellar beneath. It was built by the Michels brothers in 1859-1860.
"John sold his interest in the property to William for $1,000 in 1864. The house-winery was then constructed in 1865 by William Michels. William sold it one year later to Martin Weber for $3,000. The selling price seems to indicate the completion of the winery complex. Three years later, the property was sold to George Bersinger, a German who previously made wine in the winemaking region of Crawford County, Ohio.
"The archival records indicate the home was 1½ stories and had a rectangular footprint. It was built with an asymmetrical bay facade with a center hall plan, which is a primary form of German Vernacular building tradition. The interior walls are brick and supported by the foundation walls of the cellar below. The brick vault cellar is under one of the large forward rooms. The house is built on a slope with an earthen swale leading to the cellar entry on the rear elevation.
"By 1870, Bersinger had a ten-acre vineyard surrounding the house and produced 1,500 gallons of wine. Bersinger was a primary winegrower producing little else on his small acreage surrounding his home. His contribution to the wine industry helped to lead the Hermann wine district into national prominence with the quality of its production." ~ Stone Haus, About
"Visitors to the Stone Haus Bed and Breakfast will enjoy peace & quiet within the city limits of Hermann Missouri. The charm of a historic home circa 1862 (there’s even an early German vaulted limestone wine cellar) with all the modern conveniences can make your getaway special. It offers spacious rooms & suites, all with private baths, off-street parking, and bountiful homemade breakfasts, featuring the innkeepers’ signature dishes.
Be sure to relax in the hot tub and outdoor living spaces while viewing the abundant wildlife. There are numerous romantic nooks & private hideaways and available upon request are several German four-course dinners." ~ Experience Hermann