Adams-Shaw House
Brownwood, Brown County, Texas
Marker Inscription
This house was erected about 1876 for George H. Adams (1842-1920), a rancher and former Texas Ranger, whose cattle brand was carved into the front step. English-born stonemason William Frederick Morton (1851-1926) built it of sandstone quarried in nearby Willis Creek. The structure was purchased in 1908 by Laura (d. 1944) and Colin McKeever Shaw (1850-1944). It was restored and enlarged after 1945 by their son, Neil K. Shaw (1901-1969), and his wife, Maud Dabney Shaw. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1975
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Around 1876, rancher and former Texas Ranger George H. Adams—who had his cattle brand carved into the front step—built this sandstone house from local Willis Creek stone, laid up by English-born mason William Frederick Morton. The Shaw family bought it in 1908, and their descendants restored and enlarged it after 1945.
Why it matters
The house links the cattle-ranching frontier and the skilled immigrant stonemasons who gave Central Texas its distinctive early architecture, both preserved in one enduring building.
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Related people
- · George H. Adams
- · William Frederick Morton
Themes & tags
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