Charles A. Westbrook Plantation
Lorena, McLennan County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Charles Alexander Westbrook (1838-1895) came to Texas from Mississippi in 1859. He settled first at Washington-on-the-Brazos, where he married Mary Virginia Whitsitt. They eventually were the parents of thirteen children. After his service in the Confederate Army during the Civil War, Westbrook moved his family to McLennan County and established a large cotton plantation along Cow Bayou. He built a large family home here in the 1870s. Constructed of locally quarried stone, the three-story structure featured six fireplaces and square Doric columns. Although the house was significantly altered in the 20th Century, it is a reminder of the once-thriving Westbrook Cotton Plantation. The stage road from Waco to San Antonio traversed the Westbrook property, and the family often hosted travelers in their home. The plantation also included a number of outbuildings. Charles Westbrook served as County Commissioner from 1876 to 1878. One of the first schools in the area was established on his plantation. When the railroad was built through the area in 1881, the resulting town (1.5 mi. NW) was named for the Westbrooks' daughter, Lorena.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Charles Alexander Westbrook came from Mississippi to Texas in 1859 and, after Confederate service in the Civil War, settled his large family in McLennan County to establish a cotton plantation along Cow Bayou. In the 1870s he built a three-story stone home with square Doric columns beside the Waco-to-San Antonio stage road, often lodging travelers there. When the railroad arrived in 1881, the new town nearby was named Lorena for his daughter.
Why it matters
The Westbrook plantation reflects the cotton economy and stagecoach-to-railroad transition that shaped Central Texas, right down to a town that still carries a planter's daughter's name.
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Related people
- · Charles Alexander Westbrook
Themes & tags
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