If you’ve ever driven past the palm-lined property at the corner of Gilbert and Tolle Streets, you’ve likely noticed it feels a little different. The mature palms, unusual for the Hill Country, hint that something significant once stood there.
Long before it became a restaurant and seasonal river outfitter, this property was home to one of the most important medical facilities in early New Braunfels history: the Comal Sanitarium.
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The Comal Sanitarium Company was formed in 1920 by Dr. M.C. Hagler and Dr. Arthur Bergfeld. The hospital first operated temporarily out of the former Comal Hotel (now the Prince Solms Inn) before moving into a newly constructed building on Gilbert Street in 1921.
Financed by Dr. Bergfeld’s father-in-law, U.S. “Tug” Pfeuffer, the new hospital sat on three acres along the Comal River. It was considered state-of-the-art for its time.
The two-story building measured 44 by 80 feet and included a basement and a 10-foot sleeping porch that ran the length of the structure, offering patients fresh air in the days before air conditioning. The first floor featured private patient rooms, a fully equipped operating room, a sterilizing room with steam pressure and electrical sterilizers, and later, a separate office for Dr. Bergfeld.
Upstairs, more patient rooms, bathrooms, and a large ward accommodated additional patients. The basement housed a modern laboratory and dormitory space for nurses, as the hospital included a full-time nursing staff who lived on site.
Hot and cold water, electrical heating, and advanced surgical facilities made the Comal Sanitarium comparable to hospitals in much larger cities.
One of the most remarkable claims tied to Comal Sanitarium is that it housed the first X-ray machine in Texas.
After studying in Germany, Dr. Bergfeld imported a massive X-ray machine at a cost of $4,000, a significant investment at the time. The equipment reportedly operated at 25,000 volts and was powerful enough to produce dramatic sparks and loud electrical discharges. It occupied multiple rooms and was used to diagnose internal injuries and illnesses at a time when such technology was still new and groundbreaking.
For a small Hill Country town, this was cutting-edge medicine.
Drs. Hagler and Bergfeld were known for their deep commitment to serving the community. They purchased nearly all materials, furnishings, and supplies locally whenever possible and maintained a policy of never turning patients away, regardless of their ability to pay.
The hospital operated a tuberculosis clinic and held contracts with the U.S. Treasury Department to care for sick or wounded veterans. It was also home to the Comal Sanitarium School of Nursing, graduating many registered nurses who would go on to serve the region.
Hundreds of babies were delivered there over the decades, and generations of New Braunfels families have personal ties to the facility.
Although the word “sanitarium” today may sound unusual, in the early 20th century it simply referred to a place focused on healing and extended recovery, not an asylum as modern usage sometimes suggests.
In 1949, as another local hospital struggled, the Bergfeld family offered to sell Comal Sanitarium to the City of New Braunfels for $48,000. Voters declined.
The hospital continued operating until July 1965, shortly after the death of Dr. Arthur Bergfeld. After closing, the building suffered from vandalism and sat vacant for years.
In 1975, investors purchased the property and demolished the original hospital structure. A new multi-level stone, wood, and glass restaurant called The River Restaurant opened in 1976, marking a new chapter for the site. Over the decades, the building has seen several restaurant and entertainment concepts before eventually becoming the seasonal river business many recognize today.
The palm trees, however, remain as a quiet reminder of the property’s past.
Today, it’s easy to pass by without realizing that this peaceful property once represented some of the most advanced medical care in Texas.
From pioneering X-ray technology to charity care for those in need, the Comal Sanitarium played a vital role in shaping healthcare in New Braunfels. Its legacy lives on not only in historic archives, but in the families and stories connected to it.