Every year
Winedale draws thousands of students, tourists, and program
participants who tour its historic properties, attend its public programs and continuing education
seminars, or for tours (by appt only).
Winedale, one of five divisions of the Center for American History,
is a complex of nineteenth-century structures and modern facilities
situated on 225 acres near Round Top, Texas, approximately a 30-minute drive west of Brenham. Winedale's mission is to foster an understanding of Texas
history and culture through research, teaching, and public service.
Winedale preserves and makes accessible its research collections of
nineteenth-century buildings and their period furnishings, sponsors
public programs, and serves as a conference site for non-profit
educational groups.
The heart of Winedale is its historic buildings, each structure
offering a tangible link to our past through its
public programs and events
throughout the year, and its dining hall, dormitory, modern conference
center, and outdoor pavilion are available for use by nonprofit
educational groups for meetings and retreats. Winedale's Interpretive
Center, located in the historic Hazel's Lone Oak Cottage, contains an
exhibit
that acquaints visitors with the history and development of the
Winedale property and historic structures, and that introduces them to
Winedale programs and points of interest.
architecture and
furnishings and the histories of its buildings, owners, and occupants.
Winedale regularly hosts students from elementary and secondary schools
as well as college and university classes in history, anthropology,
horticulture, and theater. Additionally Winedale reaches out to the
larger community through its public programs and continuing education
seminars. Winedale sponsors
Winedale derives its name from a German community that existed
briefly after 1870 in Washington County. Local farmers cultivated
grapes and the post office carried the name Winedale. Sometime after
1881 the village was relocated nearby in Fayette County along Jack's
Creek, where it was centered around a residence once known locally as
Sam Lewis's Stopping Place, and later as the Stagecoach Inn. Samuel
Lewis died in 1867, but his heirs retained the house until 1882, when
they sold it to Joseph George Wagner, Sr. Members of the Wagner family,
including children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, lived in
the home for the next eighty years. Today this residence, now called
the
Wagner House, is the centerpiece historic structure at Winedale.
Today's Winedale is the legacy of Houston philanthropist Miss Ima
Hogg, one of the nation's early preservationists and a colleague of
major recognized collectors such as John D. Rockefeller and Henry du
Pont. Miss Hogg originally purchased approximately ninety acres of land
and related buildings on the former Samuel K. Lewis Farmstead in 1963
in order to preserve the Lewis family home. Two years later, in the
midst of her restoration of the structures, Miss Hogg donated the
entire property, including period furnishings, to the University of
Texas.
Winedale has several annual events including the upcoming
Quilt Event which will be held February 10-23, 2014.
Shakespeare at Winedale is another main draw to the complex each year with performances in the spring and summer of each year.
Christmas at Winedale is family-friendly event at which visitors can enjoy 19th-century holiday fun including stagecoach rides, folk life demonstrators, home tours, German Santa and much more.
Winedale also hosts special programs throughout the year as well as seminars related to agriculture.
You can find more information about Winedale and their events online. We encourage you to visit the historical complex and learn about this treasured history!
4) CASA For Kids is hosting their annual Casino Night on Saturday from 6-10pm at Austin County Fairgrounds in Bellville (just 15 mins south of Brenham). This is a fundraiser for the CASA for Kids program - tickets are $60 at the door. More Details
