Historic Vogelsang Buildings

The Vogelsang Story 

One of the oldest buildings in the heart of Historic Downtown Rosenberg, the Vogelsang Building was constructed in 1910 by Jacob Gray. In 1912, the property was leased by Louis A. Vogelsang (1874–1961) for his general merchandise business. Vogelsang later purchased the building in 1922 and continued operating his store at this location until 1947.

The Vogelsang Building remained in the Vogelsang family for more than a century. Bob Vogelsang, grandson of Louis, and his wife Marcia devoted over 35 years to preserving and revitalizing Rosenberg’s historic buildings, breathing new life into the community while honoring family traditions that spanned generations.

Following their passing, the property was entrusted to their adopted daughter, Dennise Argil, and her family—connected not by blood or legal formality, but by enduring love, shared purpose, and a deep commitment to carrying forward the Vogelsang legacy of preservation, community, and respect for Rosenberg’s history.

History of 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.