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".

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]

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 20th 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-19th century 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

• In Houston, Washington Avenue was named after Washington-on-the-Brazos. It was the western route to Washington County. Following the present day road: Washington Avenue; Hempstead Highway; US 290 (Northwest Freeway) then outside of Harris County US 290 is called Houston Highway.

Education

The community is within the Brenham Independent School District.

Gallery

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  Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historical Park Entrance

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

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

Notes

See also

• List of museums in East Texas
• Open air museum

References

• Washington-on-the-Brazos, Texas from the Handbook of Texas Online. Retrieved Apr. 12, 2005.
• Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historical Park from the Handbook of Texas Online. Retrieved Apr. 12, 2005.

External links

• Washington-on-the-Brazos web site
• Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historic Site
• Star of the Republic Museum
• Barrington Living History Farm - Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
• VISITOR INFORMATION for Washington County, Texas

v t e Municipalities and communities of Washington County, Texas, United States County seat: Brenham City Brenham Town Burton Unincorporated communities Chappell Hill Greenvine Independence Latium Phillipsburg‡ Prairie Hill Quarry Washington-on-the-Brazos Ghost towns Gay Hill Goodwill Graball La Bahia Tigertown William Penn Footnotes ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties

v t e 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 Fort Davis NHS Lyndon B. Johnson NHP Palo Alto Battlefield NHP San Antonio Missions NHP 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 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 State Park 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 Zaragoza Birthplace State Forests and Arboretums E.O. Siecke I.D. Fairchild John Henry Kirby Masterson W. Goodrich Jones Ruth Bowling Nichols Arboretum Olive Scott Petty Arboretum 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 / 30.3239861; -96.1535417