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Washington-on-the-Brazos, Texas

Washington-on-the-Brazos (also known as Washington) is an unincorporated area along the Brazos River in Washington County, Texas, United States. It was founded when Texas was still a part of Mexico, and the settlement became the site of the Convention of 1836 and the signing of the Texas Declaration of Independence. The name "Washington-on-the-Brazos" was used to distinguish the settlement from "Washington-on-the-Potomac".

Contents

History

Washington-on-the-Brazos is known as "the birthplace of Texas", a distinction it earned when on March 1, 1836 it became the meeting place of the Texas delegates who formally announced Texas' intention to separate from Mexico and who drafted the constitution of the new Republic of Texas, organizing an interim government to serve until an officially elected government could be put in place.[1]

Replica of the building at Washington-on-the-Brazos where the Texas Declaration was signed. An inscription reads: "Here a Nation was born".

The delegates declared independence on March 2, 1836. Their constitution was adopted on March 16. The delegates worked until March 17, when they had to flee, along with the people of Washington, to escape the advancing Mexican Army. The townspeople returned after the Mexican Army was defeated at San Jacinto on April 21. Town leaders lobbied for Washington’s designation as the permanent capital of the Republic of Texas, but leaders of the Republic passed over Washington in favor of Waterloo, which later was renamed Austin.

Washington County was created by the legislature of the Republic of Texas in 1836 and organized in 1837 and Washington-on-the-Brazos became the county seat. Although the county seat moved to Brenham in 1844, the town continued to thrive as a center for the cotton trade until the mid-1850s, when the railroad bypassed it. The strife of the Civil War took another toll on the town, and by the turn of the century it was virtually abandoned.

Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historic Site

The State of Texas purchased 50 acres (20 ha) of the old townsite in 1916 and built a replica of the building where the delegates met. The state acquired more of the site in 1976 and 1996.

Located between Brenham and Navasota off State Highway 105, the site is now known as Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historic Site. It covers 293 acres (119 ha), and features three main attractions, Independence Hall, Barrington Living History Farm and the Star of the Republic Museum, which is administered by Blinn College.

The site's visitor center is free and includes interactive exhibits about the Texas Revolution and the park's attractions, a gift shop, a conference center and an education center.[2]

Barrington Living History Farm

The Barrington Living History Farm is a living museum farm homestead that represents the mid-1800s farm founded by Dr. Anson Jones, the last President of the Republic of Texas. Costumed interpreters raise cotton, corn, cattle and hogs using period techniques. The 1844 Anson Jones Home was moved to the site in 1936 as part of the Texas Centennial Celebration.[3] The recreated outbuildings include two slave cabins, a kitchen building, a smokehouse, a cotton house and a barn. The farmstead opened in 2000, [3] and is operated by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

Names elsewhere

Education

The community is within the Brenham Independent School District.

Gallery

Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historical Park Entrance

Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historical Park Visitor Center

Star of the Republic Museum, part of the State Historical Park

Notes

  1. ^ Washington the Brazos State Historic Site, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Retrieved 2008-09-16.
  2. ^ http://www.birthplaceoftexas.com/visitor_svcs_complex.htm Visitor Services Complex
  3. ^ a b http://www.birthplaceoftexas.com/barrington/index.htm Barrington Living History Farm

See also

References

External links

v Municipalities and communities of Washington County, Texas
County seat: Brenham
City

Brenham
Town

Burton
Unincorporated communities

Chappell Hill | Greenvine | Independence | Latium | Prairie Hill | Quarry | Washington-on-the-Brazos
v • d • Protected Areas of Texas
Federal
National Parks Big Bend • Guadalupe Mountains
National Monuments and Memorials Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument • Chamizal National Memorial
National Historical Parks and Historic Sites El Orcoquisac Archeological District • Fort Davis National Historic Site • Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park • Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park • San Antonio Missions National Historical Park
National Historic Trails El Camino Real de los Tejas National Historic Trail
National Recreation Areas Amistad • Lake Meredith
National Wildlife Refuges Anahuac • Aransas • Attwater Prairie Chicken • Balcones Canyonlands • Big Boggy • Brazoria • Buffalo Lake • Grulla • Hagerman • Laguna Atascosa • Lower Rio Grande Valley • McFaddin • Muleshoe • San Bernard • Santa Ana • Texas Point • Trinity River
National Forests Angelina • Davy Crockett • Sabine • Sam Houston
National Grasslands Caddo • Lyndon B. Johnson • McClellan Creek • Rita Blanca
Other Protected Areas Big Thicket National Preserve • Padre Island National Seashore • Rio Grande Wild and Scenic River
State
State Parks and Natural Areas Abilene • Atlanta • Balmorhea • Barton Warnock Environmental Education Center • Bastrop • Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley • Big Bend Ranch • Big Spring • Blanco • Boca Chica • Bonham • Brazos Bend • Buescher • Caddo Lake • Caprock Canyons • Cedar Hill • Choke Canyon • Cleburne • Colorado Bend • Cooper Lake • Copper Breaks • Daingerfield • Davis Mountains • Devils River State Natural Area • Devil's Sinkhole State Natural Area • Dinosaur Valley • Eisenhower • Enchanted Rock State Natural Area • Estero Llano Grande • Fairfield Lake • Falcon • Fort Boggy • Fort Parker State Park • Fort Richardson State Park • Franklin Mountains • Galveston Island • Garner • Goliad • Goose Island • Government Canyon State Natural Area • Guadalupe River • Hill Country State Natural Area • Honey Creek State Natural Area • Huntsville • Indian Lodge • Inks Lake • Kickapoo Cavern • Lake Arrowhead • Lake Bob Sandlin • Lake Brownwood • Lake Casa Blanca International • Lake Colorado City • Lake Corpus Christi • Lake Livingston • Lake Mineral Wells • Lake Somerville • Lake Tawakoni • Lake Texana • Lake Whitney • Lockhart • Longhorn Cavern • Lost Creek Reservoir State Trailway • Lost Maples State Natural Area • Martin Creek Lake • Martin Dies, Jr. • Matagorda Island • McKinney Falls • Meridian • Mission Tejas • Monahans Sandhills • Mother Neff State Park • Mustang Island • Palmetto • Palo Duro Canyon • Pedernales Falls • Possum Kingdom • Purtis Creek • Ray Roberts Lake • Resaca de la Palma • San Angelo • Sea Rim • Sheldon Lake • South Llano River • Stephen F. Austin • Tyler • Village Creek • Walter Umphrey • Wyler Aerial Tramway
State Historic Sites Acton • Admiral Nimitz • Barrington Living History Farm at Washington-on-the-Brazos • Battleship TEXAS • Caddoan Mounds • Casa Navarro • Confederate Reunion Grounds • Eisenhower Birthplace • Fanthorp Inn • Fannin Battleground • Fort Griffin • Fort Lancaster • Fort Leaton • Fort McKavett • Fort Richardson • Fulton Mansion • Goliad • Hueco Tanks • Kreische Brewery • Landmark Inn • Levi Jordan Plantation • Lipantitlan • Lyndon B. Johnson • Magoffin Homestead • Mission Espiritu Santo • Mission Rosario • Monument Hill • Penn Farm • Point Isabel Lighthouse • Sabine Pass Battleground • Sam Bell Maxey House • Samuel T. Rayburn House • San Felipe • San Jacinto Battleground • Sauer-Beckmann Farm • Sebastopol House • Seminole Canyon • Starr Family Home • Varner•Hogg Plantation • Washington-on-the-Brazos • Zaragosa Birthplace
State Forests E.O. Siecke • I.D. Fairchild • John Henry Kirby • Masterson • W. Goodrich Jones
State Wildlife Trails Great Texas Coastal • Heart of Texas • Panhandle Plains • Prairies and Pineywoods
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department

Coordinates: 30°19′26.35″N 96°09′12.75″W / 30.3239861°N 96.1535417°W

Categories: Capitals of former nations | Former United States state capitals | Texas state parks | Washington County, Texas | Texas Revolution | Ghost towns in Texas | Museums in Washington County, Texas | Living museums in Texas | History museums in Texas | Farm museums in the United States | Agriculture museums in the United States

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