Visiting Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historic Site is an enjoyable experience on two levels. First, the expansive park grounds along the Brazos River provide a beautiful setting for picnicking, sightseeing and birdwatching. And secondly, the Star of the Republic Museum, Independence Hall and Barrington Living History Farm, offer the visitor a unique insight into the lives and times of the men who fought and won Texas’ independence from Mexico.
This picturesque park is located on the Brazos River, Washington was the site of the 1836 General Convention which would decide the fate of Texas. Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historic Site is revered as the site of the signing of the Texas Declaration of Independence on March 2, 1836. Thereafter, despite great personal risk, the delegates continued meeting until they had drafted a constitution and established the new nation’s first lasting government.
Washington remained a town of some prominence in early Texas until the eve of the Civil War. The park encompasses the site of the historic town (1836). Washington was the first county seat of Washington County in 1836, the capitol of Texas from 1842 to 1845, and the home of the last president of the Republic of Texas, Anson Jones. Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historic Site, the seat of Texas Independence, is the center each year for the Texas Independence Day Celebration, under the direction of the Washington-on-the-Brazos State Park Association.
Washington-on-the-Brazos in Washington County consists of 293.1 acres. The land was acquired by deed from private owners in 1916. It was transferred to the State Parks Board from the State Board of Control by the Legislature in 1949. Then in 1976 and 1996, more land was acquired by deed from private owners.
Today the park is maintained by Texas Parks and Wildlife. The Washington-on-the-Brazos State Park Association assists the park and the Star of the Republic Museum in this effort. The museum’s administration falls under the jurisdiction of Blinn College in Brenham.
Barrington Living History Farm, home of Anson Jones, last President of the Republic of Texas. Handcrafted reproduction log buildings and cropland demonstrate the working of a Brazos Valley farm, circa 1850. Interpreters in period costume work the farm as it was done long ago.
The General Convention, which would decide the fate of Texas, met at Washington in March 1836. People revere Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historic Site as the site of the signing of the Texas Declaration of Independence on March 2, 1836.
The picturesque Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historic Site is located on the Brazos River. The expansive park grounds along the Brazos River provide a beautiful setting for picnicking, sightseeing and bird-watching. The Star of the Republic Museum, Independence Hall and Barrington Plantation, offer the visitor a unique insight into the lives and times of the men who fought and won Texas’ independence from Mexico.
Barrington Plantation
Travel back in time to 1850 and explore the original home of Dr. Anson Jones, the last President of the Republic of Texas. The Jones family lived at the farm for over a decade, building a successful cotton farm with enslaved labor after Texas joined the union. This living history farm is complete with period costumed interpreters using 19th century farming practices for planting, cultivating, harvesting, and working with livestock. Explore the sights and smells of farm life and experience the daily lives of those who came 150 years ago.
The Star of Texas Museum
The Star of the Republic Museum was created by the Texas Legislature and is administered by the Texas Historical Commission as a cultural and educational institution. Its purpose is to collect and preserve the material culture of the Texas Republic (1836-1846) and to interpret the history, cultures, diversity, and values of early Texans. The Museum strives to inspire interest, understanding and appreciation of Texas heritage for students, teachers, scholars, and the general public through exhibits, tours, programs, web activities, and outreach.
Since 1972, the Star of the Republic Museum at Washington-on-the-Brazos has held the highest honor a museum can receive: accreditation by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM), being one of the first museums in the state and nation to be so designated. Accreditation certifies that a museum operates according to standards set forth by the museum profession, manages its collections responsibly and provides quality service to the public. Of the nearly 8,500 museums nationwide, approximately 800 are accredited. AAM is based in Washington, D.C. and has served the museum profession since 1906. The Museum was re-accredited in 2010.
In 1965, when Gus Mutscher was a State Representative from Washington County, he introduced a bill appropriating $800,000 for construction of a “Worthy Museum, at the Birthplace of Texas that would be a Star upon a Star.” In 1969, Speaker of the House Mutscher, sponsored HB 634 of the Sixty-first Texas Legislature transferring ownership of the museum to Blinn College and appropriating an annual operating budget. The museum was dedicated and formally opened on March 1, 1970. It is the only museum in the state created by the Legislature for the exclusive purpose of interpreting the republic period of Texas history and its material culture.
Independence Hall
For Texans, Independence Hall is one of our most significant historic sites. It was here, in the raw frontier town of Washington in 1836, 59 men elected from municipalities across the territory met in an unfinished frame building to determine the fate of this vast land we call Texas! Meanwhile, the forces of General Santa Anna laid siege to the Alamo.