Old Stone Fort Museum (Texas) facts for kids
Old Stone Fort
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| Established | 1936 |
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| Location | 1808 Alumni Dr. Stephen F. Austin State University Nacogdoches, Texas |
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Recorded Texas Historic Landmark
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| Official name | Old Stone Fort |
| Designated | 1962 |
| Reference no. | 9393 |
The Old Stone Fort Museum is located on the campus of Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas. It's a special museum that looks like an old building from the 1700s. Even though it's called a "fort," the original building wasn't actually a fort. It was built around 1779 by a local leader named Antonio Gil Y'Barbo.
The first building was used for many different things for over 100 years. Eventually, it was taken down. The museum you see today is a copy, built in 1936. It was created with help from a local group called Cum Concilio. Money also came from the New Deal, a government program started by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to help the country during tough economic times. Today, the museum is open to everyone and shares interesting stories about history.
Contents
The Original Stone House: Its Beginnings
The first Old Stone Fort was built around 1779. It was made from a type of rock found in the area called iron ore. This building was actually a store, built by Antonio Gil Y'Barbo. Because it was made of strong iron-like bricks, people called it the Stone House.
Over the years, the Stone House had many different owners.
- In 1805, Y'Barbo sold it to José Luis de la Bega.
- In 1806, William Barr bought it.
- Barr and his friends, Peter Samuel Davenport, Luther Smith, and Edward Murphy, ran a business there. They bought and sold goods with the local Native American tribes.
- Davenport eventually became the only owner of the business.
For several years, the building also served as different government offices.
A Place of Change and History
The Old Stone Fort saw many important events in Texas history.
- In 1826, a man named Benjamin Haden and his followers took over the building. This happened just before the Fredonian Rebellion, a fight for independence in Texas.
- Later, a military leader named Colonel José de las Piedras used the building as his main office.
The building continued to change hands and purposes:
- In 1829, John Marie Durst bought the Stone House. He and his family lived there until 1834.
- In 1837, the building became a courtroom for the Republic of Texas. This was when Texas was its own country. A judge named Robert McAlpin Williamson worked there. He was also known as Three-legged Willie.
The Final Owners of the Original Building
In 1838, the building was sold to John S. Roberts. He was one of the people who signed the Texas Declaration of Independence. Roberts had also been involved in important battles like the battle of Nacogdoches in 1832 and the Siege of Béxar in 1835. He ran several businesses from the Stone House.
Roberts later sold the building to William and Charles Perkins. They were the last people to own the original Old Stone Fort.
The Museum You See Today
The Perkins family took down the original building in 1902. However, a local group called Cum Concilio saved some of its original stones. In 1907, this club used the stones to build a small structure in Washington Square.
Many years later, the New Deal program provided money to build a copy of the old fort. This new building was placed on the grounds of Stephen F. Austin State College, which is now Stephen F. Austin State University. The dedication ceremony for the new building was held on October 16, 1936.
This building became the Old Stone Fort Museum. It is open to visitors and has many interesting historical exhibits for everyone to learn from.
Gallery
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Old Stone Fort, Nacogdoches, Texas (photograph, circa 1885)
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Illustration from an article entitled "The Old Stone Fort of Nacogdoches," by Lee C. Harby, published in the April 1888 edition of The American Magazine on page 721
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Old Stone Fort, Nacogdoches, Texas (photograph, circa 1912)
See also
