Round Rock History: The Sansom House
History of the Sansom House, authored by Phebe Davol, Round Rock Preservation Board of Directors
The Sansom House located at 2 Chisholm Trail Rd. is northwest of the round rock in “Old Town” on the north bank of Brushy Creek adjacent to the Stagecoach Inn, recently relocated in 2018. The house was built on the site of Jacob M. Harrell land survey. On November 13, 1850, Harrell sold 316 acres of this land to John Scott who retained the property for a little over a year before selling it to John Wesley Wilbarger (previously designated as a Round Rock Local Legend in 2022) and his wife Lucy. In 1897, Mrs. Lucy Wilbarger, widow of John W. Wilbarger, sold the lot. Either Mr. Scott or Mr. Wilbarger built the stone Sansom House, likely before 1897.
The remaining core structure consists of one 16-by 20-foot room over another as a second floor which is no longer present. Its 17-inch-thick walls are constructed of rough-cut limestone in irregular courses with quoins (masonry blocks to add support and add structural detail) at the corners. The numerous square nails and other building techniques indicate it is one of the oldest buildings in Old Town and the surrounding area (Refs. 1 & 2). The Sansom House is historically significant due to its association or contribution to a pattern of settlement in Texas from 1850 to 1876. Located along the Chisholm Trail, cattle drives, stagecoaches, and wagons passed by the home.
This building has several legends associated with it including that it was a stagecoach stop on the north side of Brushy Creek. In the event stagecoaches approaching from the north could not cross Brushy Creek due to high flood waters, this location was used to water the horses and give passengers a respite until flood waters subsided. Travelers could then continue their journey south on The Chisholm Trail to reach the Stagecoach Inn located on the south side of Brushy Creek (Refs. 1 & 2).
Photograph borrowed from John Hernandez, local photographer extraordinaire.
Thank you, John, for sharing your amazing photography. The Historic Round Rock Stagecoach Inn was relocated in 2018 to 750 Chisholm Trail Rd, immediately south of the Sansom House within the Chisholm Trail Crossing Park.
From 1850 to 1876 the area known as Old Town Round Rock thrived. Thus, this building along with Local Legend “Old Town,” has significance as it highlights the early development of Old Round Rock. By the 1880s, the building was reported to have been a livery stable. By 1907 the property was referred to as the Sappington residence. The longest occupant of the building was Jesse W. Sansom, who owned the building from 1936 to 1967 (Ref. 1). Ms. Harriet Rutland (1996 Local Legend, deceased (12/4/2021) purchased the Sansom House to restore the building as she and her husband were stewards of the Round Rock community using their resources to restore many homes (e.g., St. Charles Hotel, Old Post Office, Rose Cottage and Poker Alley) in the Round Rock area. (Ref. 3).
The Sansom House is now owned by the City of Round Rock. Due to its proximity to the relocated and rehabilitated Stagecoach Inn, Round Rock Preservation continues to advocate for the rehabilitation and restoration of this historic building.
References:
- Karen Thompson and Jane DiGesualdo; Historical Round Rock, Texas, 1985
- C. Lynn Smith Historical Structure Report Summer 2000
- Harriet Irvin Rutland Obituary from the Austin American-Statesman 12/8/2021
Copy and images provided by Round Rock Preservation
This Round the Rock series is brought to you by Round Rock Preservation, an IRS 501c3 Nonprofit Charity established for charitable & educational purposes. (EIN: 81-2339800).
The mission of Round Rock Preservation is to fulfill the need for a city-wide community advocacy program related to protecting, preserving, and supporting historic preservation within the City of Round Rock. Lectures and presentations are available.
For more info, contact Frank Darr, Vice President, at fdarr@austin.rr.com.
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