Washington on the Brazos

During the sweltering summer of 2023, I had the opportunity to visit Washington on the Brazos. It was initially for a project I was doing that went by the wayside when I left a job but nevertheless, I am glad that I went to see this historic spot.

A little history for those outside of Texas:

This is where the Republic of Texas was formed in 1836 when a convention was held and the Texas Declaration of Independence was issued on March 2, 1836, followed by the first Texas Constitution on March 17th. Not surprisingly, the Declaration of Texas bears a remarkable similarity to the U.S. Declaration of Independence. The delegates to this convention elected David Burnet as president and Sam Houston as Commander in Chief of the Texas Army. However because General Santa Ana's troops were threatening the town, the capital was moved to Buffalo Bayou. Washington on the Brazos was the capital of Texas for a brief time until 1845 when it was moved to Austin.

After 1858, the community began to decline due to the railroad bypassing it. In 1916, the State of Texas purchased 50 acres of the original townsite and began to recreate the historic town. By 1996, the site covered 293 acres and included Barrington House as well as the Texas Star Museum.

When I went there, they were in the process of prepping the area for construction as they are recreating the entire village as it would have stood in 1836. While I was there, I visited Independence Hall which is a simple replica wood building of the original structure. This was the only place where there was a docent who gave the history of the area. There were no activities going on the day I was there, but I did walk all around the town site and was able to see markers in different areas that described the buildings that once stood there. It was interesting to see and read about the history of the town.

My understanding is that currently a sizable portion of the site is under construction to recreate some businesses that stood during 1836 and to make the area safer for visitors but never fear, the beautiful museum is still open and is quite engaging with a multitude of exhibits. You can still visit Independence Hall and the Barrington Farm as well, so it is still well worth the visit! See my other posts on Barrington Farm.