Located in Downtown Brenham, Funky Art Café resides in the historic Schuerenberg Blacksmith Building. Built in 1916 by the Schuerenberg brothers, the building was originally a shed out of which smithies worked. Horses were shod, wagon wheels made & farm equipment repaired at this location.
As business grew, so did the building. While building & selling buggies was added to the business mix, blacksmithing repair continued to be a part of the services offered by the Schuerenbergs. Horse-drawn wagons were repaired here as late as the 1950’s. Funky Art Café’s owner’s father, Don Wilder, became a smithie upon moving to Brenham to continue the family business tradition after marrying, Lillian ‘Dauta’ Adams, granddaughter of the Schuerenbergs.
Blacksmithing gave way to wire fabrication & the Old Brazos Forge was born. In 1960, a fire gutted this building & the business moved out of downtown to a new location & building in the area. Reminders of the fire are still visible in the Café. If examined closely, scars from the fire can be seen on the ceiling rafters in the Café.