In 1823 Stephen F. Austin established the headquarters for his colony in what is now the town of San Felipe, Texas. 300 American colonists came with him and settled the site. The settlement became an important community in Texas, similar to San Antonio, and still has the oldest post office in the state. The provisional government of Mexican Texas met in this settlement in the lead up to the Texas War of Independence.
The colony had a main commercial street and a town square. There were over thirty buildings including log cabins and framed structures. The settlement had a tavern, a lumber mill, a grist mill, and raised livestock. This robust settlement became a draw for immigrants to the area coming from the United States.
This historic site has recreations of some of the buildings of the community. The original settlement was burned by its inhabitants in 1836 as they fled during the Texas War of Independence. This evacuation of the settlement is called the Runaway Scrape.
Location
220 2nd St, San Felipe, TX 77473
The San Felipe de Austin State Historic Site is near the Stephen F. Austin State Park, but is not part of the park.
Visiting the Historic Site
Open Wednesday – Sunday 9 AM – 5 PM
Admission to the site is $10 for adults, with some discounts available.
The historic site is not part of the adjacent state park, and a state parks pass does not grant free entry.
The Museum
The main portion of the historic site is a modern museum. The building has parking, restrooms, and drinking fountains. The inside of the museum is air conditioned. There are exhibits inside the museum.
There is also a large outdoor area. Some of the outdoor area is immediately behind the museum, and some of the buildings are on the other side of the highway, which also has parking. The outdoor portions involve some walking around, and can get very hot in the summer.
The outdoor areas have recreations of some of the buildings that existed on the property. The in 1836 settlement was burned by its residents as part of the Runaway Scrape. They were fleeing the Mexican Army and were concerned that leaving the settlement intact would provide supplies and support to the oncoming army.
