Robert H. H. Hugman Sites

Max Starcke Park is a 227 acre park located along the Guadalupe River. It is the main municipal park in Seguin. The land was a pecan orchard prior to the park's dedication in 1938. The park was designed by Robert H.H. Hugman and built by the Works Progress Administration and National Youth Administration in 1937 and 1938. It was named for Maximilian (Max) Hugo Starcke who served as an alderman in Seguin from 1909 to 1912 and as mayor from 1928 to 1938.

In June 1933, using a design by architect Robert H. H. Hugman, workmen from the Civilian Conservation Corps, began building walkways and bridges along Walnut Branch, a small tributary of the Guadalupe River, and lining the slopes of the waterway with curving stone retaining walls. Dams crossed by stepping stones, low falls, and quiet pools were built along the natural course of the waterway that passes along the edge of the city's downtown. The park eventually fell into neglect during a severe drought in the 1950s, though the main spring never dried up. Fear that mosquitoes breeding in the small ponds...