Monument Hill and Kreische Brewery State Historic Sites facts for kids
Monument Hill and Kreische Brewery State Historic Sites is a special place in Texas. It's located near La Grange, right above the Colorado River. This park tells two important stories.
One part of the park, Monument Hill, is a memorial. It honors brave Texans who died in two sad events: the Dawson Massacre and the Black Bean Episode of the Mier Expedition. These events happened a long time ago when Texas was a young republic.
The other part of the park celebrates the contributions of European immigrants to Texas. It focuses on Heinrich Kreische, a German immigrant. He was a stonemason and a brewer. You can still see the ruins of his house and brewery here. The Kreische Brewery and house were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975 because they are so important.
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Kreische, Henry L., Brewery and House
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The ruins of the Kreische Brewery. Decks were added for the interpretive tours.
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 Kreische, Henry L., Brewery and House
Location in Texas
Kreische, Henry L., Brewery and House
Location in the United States
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| Location | S of La Grange off US 77 on Monument Hill, La Grange, Texas |
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| Area | 7 acres (2.8 ha) |
| Built | 1836 |
| Built by | Henry Ludwig Kreische |
| Architectural style | German Colonial |
| NRHP reference No. | 75001974 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | April 16, 1975 |
Contents
A Place of History and Heritage
This historic site holds many stories from Texas's past. It reminds us of important events and the people who lived here.
Remembering Brave Texans
On September 18, 1848, the remains of Texans who died in the Dawson Massacre and the Black Bean Episode were reburied here. These men were part of the Republic of Texas army. The Black Bean Episode was a terrible event where prisoners drew beans to decide who would be executed.
Over 1,000 people came to the reburial ceremony. Even U.S. Senator Sam Houston was there. Their remains were placed in a common tomb with a stone vault. This spot became known as Monument Hill.
The Story of Kreische Brewery
In 1849, Heinrich Ludwig Kreische, a German immigrant, bought the land that included the tomb. He built a three-story house for his family. Then, in 1860, he started building a brewery.
By 1879, Kreische's brewery was the third largest in Texas. His most famous product was "Kreische's Bluff Beer." Heinrich Kreische took care of the tomb during his lifetime. However, after he passed away in 1882, both the tomb and the brewery started to fall apart. The brewery closed in 1884.
The Kreische family asked several times for the tomb to be moved. This was because people sometimes damaged the tomb. In 1905, a new law allowed the state of Texas to buy the land where the grave was. The state officially took ownership in 1907.
In 1933, the State Highway Commission put a fence around the grave site. They also agreed to keep it as a state park. That same year, the Daughters of the Republic of Texas bought a new granite vault for the tomb. For the 1936 Texas Centennial, a tall, 48-foot stone monument was built. It has an Art Deco mural and clearly marks the mass grave.
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department took over managing the site in 1949. In 1956, people from Fayette County bought more land around Monument Hill. They gave this land to the state for the park. Even more land, including the Kreische Brewery and home, was added in 1977. The complete site opened to the public in 1983, after studies of the area were finished.
Nature at Monument Hill
The bluff at Monument Hill is a special natural area. It has a unique rock formation called the Oakville Escarpment. This formation marks where two different types of environments meet. These are the Upland Post Oak Woodlands and the Fayette Prairie.
The rocks here have created pockets of alkaline soil. This type of soil is good for certain plants and animals. These species are usually found in the Texas Hill Country, which is about 70 miles away. The Colorado River helped bring these species to Monument Hill. This created a small, isolated group of western plants and animals. They live alongside the eastern woodland and prairie communities found here.
