Fanthorp Inn
Anderson, Grimes County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Built in 1834 by Henry Fanthorp as a home for his bride, Rachel Kennard. Enlarged for hotel purpose. Served as first mercantile establishment and first post office (1835) in the region. Here Kenneth Lewis Anderson, vice-president of the Republic of Texas, died July 3, 1845. Stage lines from Houston to Old Springfield and Nacogdoches to Austin crossed here.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Henry Fanthorp built this structure in 1834 as a home for his bride, Rachel Kennard, then enlarged it into an inn as travelers multiplied. It housed the region's first mercantile store and, from 1835, its first post office, standing at the crossroads where stage lines from Houston and between Nacogdoches and Austin met. Here Kenneth Lewis Anderson, vice-president of the Republic of Texas, died in July 1845.
Why it matters
Fanthorp Inn was a vital waystation of Republic-era Texas, where mail, commerce, and stagecoach travel converged—and where a sitting vice-president drew his last breath.
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Related people
- · Henry Fanthorp
- · Rachel Kennard
- · Kenneth Lewis Anderson
Themes & tags
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