1688Construction of the Neurath House

In 1688, construction workers arrived to build a new house commissioned by the city master builder, district captain, and “Amtsschultheiß” (bailiff) of the city and district of Alsfeld, Constantin “Stam” Neurath. Having gained honor through service in the French military and great wealth through horse trading with France, Neurath purchased a plot of land on Ritterstraße where a townhouse and the residence of the noble von Lehrbach family had previously stood. There, he first had a magnificent barn built in 1687, before beginning the construction of this splendid and elaborate patrician house with rich decorative timber-framing the following year.

The building consists of two autonomous halves divided by a gateway. The timbers of the half-timbered construction feature representative carved decorative elements, such as twisted columns with winged angel heads or vine tendrils. Particularly striking are the timber panels with diamond-shaped recesses below the windows and the panel paintings on the eaves side depicting scenes from the story of creation.

A special gem is the artistically designed Renaissance front door dating from the time of construction. Framed by a sandstone staircase and set between two sandstone pedestals topped with sandstone columns, the door is horizontally divided in the old Hessian style and features abundant carved ornamentation within its panels. (MNic)