Downtown Fredericksburg · 101 E. Main Street

William Chris Fredericksburg

William Chris has a home on Main Street. Our downtown Fredericksburg tasting room sits on the corner of Main and Adams, inside a two-story limestone building put up in 1874. In the years since, it has been a general store, a bank, a saloon, a Piggly Wiggly and a bookshop. Now it pours Texas wine.

The Address101 E. Main at Adams

Preview HoursFri–Sat 11–7, Sun 11–5

ReservationsWalk-in only

The Experience

Wine Tasting in Downtown Fredericksburg

Walk in, find a spot at the bar or one of a handful of tables, and taste. During our soft opening a tasting is three wines for $20 a person. No reservations, just first come, first served.

We are excited to share some fan favorites, flagship wines and even a few older gems that haven’t been offered in a while. The back rooms will open later for reserved experiences.

Not in the mood for a tasting? Order a glass or a bottle, add a charcuterie or bread board, or take a glass to go and walk Main Street.

Bison mount over framed historic photos of Fredericksburg, including the Piggly Wiggly, the saloon and the E. Maier store, on the limestone wall at William Chris Fredericksburg

Hye Society Members

Membership Benefits in Fredericksburg

Edison-bulb chandelier under the pressed tin ceiling at William Chris Fredericksburg, with lit shelves of William Chris wine below

The standard William Chris membership discount based on membership level will apply to bottle, glass, food and merchandise purchases.
Complimentary tastings for up to 6 people 4x per year based on availability at the time of arrival.
Coming soon: Members-only happy hours with special by-the-glass member pricing.
Member pricing on Tasting Room special experiences.
Wine Club releases may be picked up in the Fredericksburg location with 48 hrs advanced notice. Due to limited space, all wines are not stored in this location, so advanced notice is required.

Please noteMembers may visit both locations. However, they are limited to one discounted experience or one complimentary tasting per day, regardless of which location they visit.

The Maier Building

Built in 1874

Edward Maier built the store in 1874 on Town Lot 239, part of the grid surveyor Hermann Wilke laid out when Fredericksburg was founded in 1846. The walls are limestone, two stories tall, and they have held the corner of Main and Adams ever since.

Maier ran a general store and mercantile here. By one account it sold the first sewing machines in Fredericksburg. In 1887 Temple D. Smith opened the Bank of Fredericksburg on the ground floor, and the bank stayed until 1898, when it moved across Main Street into a new building of its own.

After that the corner took on a little of everything: a saloon run by Edward’s son Richard until Prohibition, a livery and harness trade, telephone offices, an American Legion hall upstairs and, from 1927, H.C. Maier’s Piggly Wiggly. By the 1970s the ground floor was the Main Book Shop. Next door, Jack and Mrs. L.C. Estes opened Jack’s Emporium and ran a gingerbread porch around the corner along Adams Street.

Over the years, it has been

General store and mercantile · Bank of Fredericksburg · Saloon · Stable and livery · Telephone company · American Legion hall · Piggly Wiggly · Main Book Shop

July 2, 1888

The Bank Robbery

At about 3:40 on a Monday afternoon, two strangers walked into the Bank of Fredericksburg, then on the ground floor of this building. The vault was on a time lock and would not open until morning, so they took what was in the teller’s drawer, about $300. Banker Temple D. Smith was inside, along with Judge A.O. Cooley and two other men. As the robbers mounted their horses, Judge Cooley ran upstairs and traded half a dozen shots with them while they galloped off toward Palo Alto.

The chase started with the robbers about fifteen minutes ahead. They were never caught. The Austin Weekly Statesman called it “the boldest robbery ever attempted here,” and it is still the only recorded bank robbery in Fredericksburg history.

Historical Timeline

150 Years at Main and Adams

1846
Surveyor Hermann Wilke lays out the new town of Fredericksburg. Town Lots 239 and 240, on Main Street at Adams, are first granted to Wilke.
October 1, 1850
George N. Stebbins sells the two lots to Chester B. Starks for $1,000.
1874
Merchant Edward Maier builds a two-story limestone store on the corner and opens it as a general store and mercantile.
1884
Edward Maier dies after a boiler explosion at his steam cotton gin down the block.
1887
Temple D. Smith opens the Bank of Fredericksburg on the first floor of the Maier Building.
July 2, 1888
Two men rob the bank in the middle of the afternoon and ride off with about $300. They are never caught. It remains the only recorded bank robbery in Fredericksburg.
1890 to 1891
The Maier heirs divide the property, selling interests to A.W. Keller, Edward Maier Jr. and Hilmar Maier.
1896
Fredericksburg turns 50. A horse and carriage parade passes the Maier Building, photographed from the Vereins Kirche.
1898
The bank moves across Main Street into its new Alfred Giles building at 120 E. Main.
February 5, 1900
A.W. Keller sells his lots, including a livery stable, to George Grobe.
Early 1900s
Telephone company offices move into the building.
1913
A two-story concrete block building goes up next door at 109 E. Main. Together the two become known as the Maier Buildings.
1920
Prohibition closes Richard Maier’s saloon on Main Street.
1920s
After World War I, the American Legion meets on the second floor. In 1921 Maier & Wahrmund is advertising harnesses and secondhand saddles in the Fredericksburg Standard.
1924
R. Maier remodels the building. A plaque on the wall marks it: built 1874, remodeled 1924.
1927
H.C. Maier opens Fredericksburg’s Piggly Wiggly.
1930s to 1960s
The property passes among Maier descendants. The second floor hosts civic meetings and social functions.
1973 to 1974
Vernon Penick buys the property from the Maier heirs, ending about a century of family ownership.
1975
Jack and Mrs. L.C. Estes buy the block building next door from Penick, open Jack’s Emporium downstairs and make the second floor their home.
Late 1970s
The Estes add a two-story porch with gingerbread trim and carry the porch around the corner along Adams Street.
1970s and 1980s
The Main Book Shop fills the ground floor of 101 E. Main, with Jack’s Emporium next door.
2026
William Chris Fredericksburg opens at 101 E. Main.

From the Archive

Downtown Fredericksburg, Then

Horse and carriage parade on Main Street in Fredericksburg, Texas, in 1896, with the limestone Maier Building at right — Fredericksburg’s 50th anniversary parade, 1896, seen from the Vereins Kirche. The Maier Building is at right.

Dirt Main Street in Fredericksburg, Texas, in 1905, lined with stone storefronts — Main Street, Fredericksburg, 1905

Hand-tinted 1910 postcard of Main Street in Fredericksburg, Texas — Postcard of Main Street, 1910

Men lined up in front of the Maier Building in Fredericksburg, Texas, with SALOON painted across the limestone front — Saloon days at Main and Adams

Wagons, mule teams and early automobiles on Main Street in Fredericksburg, Texas, 1915 — Main Street, 1915

Soldiers and mounted riders marching down Main Street in Fredericksburg, Texas, past H.C. Maier's store and its harness and saddlery sign — “Marching Thru Fredericksburg,” past H.C. Maier’s store and its Harness & Saddlery sign

Cars parked along Main Street in downtown Fredericksburg, Texas, in the 1920s — Main Street, 1920s

1921 Fredericksburg Standard advertisement from Maier and Wahrmund for wheel harness and secondhand saddles — Fredericksburg Standard, March 5, 1921

Piggly Wiggly grocery and meat market storefront at the Maier Building in Fredericksburg, Texas, with a man and a steer out front — The Piggly Wiggly and its meat market, with a steer out front

1934 Piggly Wiggly grocery ad from The Radio Post in Fredericksburg, Texas — The Radio Post, September 12, 1934

Horse-drawn carriage in a parade on Main Street in Fredericksburg, Texas, passing painted Piggly Wiggly signs on the side of the Maier Building — A parade rolls past the painted Piggly Wiggly signs

The two-story limestone Maier Building at 101 E. Main Street and Adams in Fredericksburg, Texas — The Maier Building at Main and Adams

Three men stand beside exposed limestone and an R. Maier plaque reading Built 1874, Remodeled 1924, on the Maier Building in Fredericksburg — The R. Maier plaque: built 1874, remodeled 1924

Main Book Shop storefront under the porch of the limestone Maier Building on Main Street in Fredericksburg — The Main Book Shop

Jack's Emporium with its two-story gingerbread porch beside the limestone Maier Building at Main and Adams in Fredericksburg — Jack’s Emporium next door, with the Maier Building at right

Plan Your Visit

Find Us Downtown

101 E. Main Street
Fredericksburg, Texas 78624
At the corner of Main and Adams, across from Marktplatz.

Preview hours: Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Hours may change as we settle in, so check back here before you make a special trip.

Reservations: None needed. Walk in, first come, first served.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a reservation?

No. During our soft opening the tasting room is walk-in only, first come, first served. The back rooms will open later for reserved experiences.

How much is a tasting?

A tasting is three wines for $20 per person during our preview. Wine club members receive complimentary tastings for up to 6 people 4x per year based on availability at the time of arrival.

Can I just have a glass or a bottle?

Yes. Wine by the glass and by the bottle is available without a tasting, space permitting.

Is there food?

We serve charcuterie and bread boards. Outside food isn't allowed.

Can I take wine to go?

Yes. Order a glass in one of our to-go cups and take it down Main Street. Our glassware stays inside.

How big a group can you take?

The room has a seated bar and a few tables, so we seat groups as space allows at the time you walk in. Larger groups are welcome but may have to wait or come back. Tour groups follow the same rules, since we can't hold space during the soft opening.

Are kids welcome?

Yes, as long as they stay with a parent or guardian. If they need room to run, Marktplatz is right across the street, and we'll send you with wine to go and a snack pack.

Can I bring my dog?

Only service animals are allowed inside, and there's no outdoor seating at this location.

Can I taste in Hye and downtown on the same day?

Members may visit both locations. However, they are limited to one discounted experience or one complimentary tasting per day, regardless of which location they visit. Everyone is welcome to enjoy a glass or a bottle at both.

What do wine club members get in Fredericksburg?

The standard William Chris membership discount based on membership level will apply to bottle, glass, food and merchandise purchases. Members also receive complimentary tastings for up to 6 people 4x per year based on availability at the time of arrival and member pricing on Tasting Room special experiences. Members-only happy hours with special by-the-glass member pricing are coming soon. Wine Club releases may be picked up in the Fredericksburg location with 48 hrs advanced notice. Due to limited space, all wines are not stored in this location, so advanced notice is required.

What are your hours?

Our preview hours are Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Hours may change as we settle in, so check back here before you make a special trip.

The Winery

Out in Hye

The winery and vineyard sit on Highway 290 in Hye, Texas, a short drive east of downtown Fredericksburg. Taste on Main Street, then see where the wine is made.