A new 220-acre, master-planned community two miles southeast of Fredericksburg’s quaint Main Street district draws inspiration directly from the pages of Southern Living.
The community, called Friedën, is the first one being developed in the Texas Hill Country (and the second one in Texas) under the Southern Living Inspired Communities program. The program highlights boutique residential communities that embrace lifestyle approaches featured in Southern Living and also reflect regional architecture.
“We were interested in Friedën from the start,” Kristen Payne, vice president of licensing at Meredith Corp., publisher of Southern Living, says in a release. “They’re determined to build something that reflects the lifestyle Fredericksburg is famous for, from the preservation of the landscape to the design of the homes. We loved their idea of a community of modern farmhouses that were custom-made but part of a design theme.”
Fredericksburg Development Inc. is now taking reservations for the first 84 modern-farmhouse homesites at Friedën. Homesite ranges from $99,000 to $314,000; the price covers only the land. Ultimately, about 240 homes will be built in the community.
Buyers of homesites can choose from Friedën home plans created by Austin-based Tim Brown Architecture LLC or can hire another architecture firm.
“All homes within Friedën must follow strict architectural and material guidelines, which provide a standard for residents to design — creating a refined and consistent community that still lends residents the freedom to build a home to their unique needs and personal style,” the developers explain.
The developer teamed up with Skip Preble and Thomas Thör Peterson of Fredericksburg’s Heirloom Communities to establish Friedën, which means “peace” in German. Preble says Friedën seeks to capture the essence of the Hill Country.
The community offers “a totally unique combination of appreciating nature and a slow pace of life, with a love of food, wine, and other people,” Preble says in a release. “As the vision for Friedën took shape, we were careful to maintain and promote the natural landscape, the lifestyle, and the design vernacular of the area in everything we’ve done — from the architecture and amenities, to the land plan — and we’re excited to welcome our first families.”
Amenities planned for Friedën include more than five miles of outdoor trails, three natural lakes, a community pool, a fitness center, community WiFi, and a barn for events. A planned project outside the controlled-access gates of Friedën will comprise a town center, apartments, restaurants, stores, and lodging.
Friedën plots range from $99,000 to $314,000, but do not include the house.
