Aldridge-Fitzwilliam Home
Bastrop, Bastrop County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Built 1852 on part of league granted in 1831 by the Mexican government to Mozea Rousseau, a member of Austin's 2nd colony. First portion was erected by John Aldridge, farmer, whose family lived here until about 1865. The 2-story part was built about 1872 by J. W. Fitzwilliam, captain in Confederate army and plantation owner. House is called "Wexford" after town in Ireland where he was born. Home is still owned by the Fitzwilliam family. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1968
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
This Bastrop County home rose in stages on land the Mexican government granted in 1831 to a colonist of Stephen F. Austin's second colony — a reminder that Anglo Texas began as Mexican Texas. Farmer John Aldridge built the first portion in 1852, and after the Civil War a Confederate captain and plantation owner, J. W. Fitzwilliam, added the two-story section around 1872, naming the place 'Wexford' for his Irish birthplace.
Why it matters
The house layers three chapters of the Texas story — Mexican land grants, Anglo pioneer farming, and postwar plantation society — into a single dwelling still held by the founding family.
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Related people
- · John Aldridge
- · J. W. Fitzwilliam
- · Mozea Rousseau
Themes & tags
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