The former Frei-Weinheim marketplace was not built on until the 18th century. Between 1700 and 1772, the weekly fruit market was held here on Tuesdays.
Nikolaus Schaurer and his descendants operated a flourishing timber trade here from the 19th century. His father had already been a tenant of the Electoral Palatinate timber yard. The timber trade had a long tradition in Frei-Weinheim. Documented since the 15th century, rafts landed regularly, mainly from the Black Forest, the Vosges and the Spessart. Wood was the most important import commodity of the Frei-Weinheim port. From here, the wood-poor surrounding area was supplied with building and fuel material. Wood was also needed for viticulture in the form of vineyard poles for tying up the vines.
In the elongated residential complex, the structure of the former barn is still preserved, which provided space for more than 20 horse teams with wagon loads. Storage and stacking areas of the Schaurer timber trade were located south of the barn and beyond the Rheinstraße on the present-day fire department and AWO grounds.
