Old Broom Factory Building
Round Rock, Williamson County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Erected in 1876. Victorian-style building has ashlar-cut limestone front with stepped parapet and keystone arches. During prosperous railroad era, housed Round Rock Broom Company (1887?-1912), an important local business. (Broom made here won a gold medal at St. Louis World's Fair, 1904.) Building also housed general store, furniture store, school, skating rink, and car repair shop. Roger Burleson, owner, preserved structure, 1969. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1970
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Erected in 1876, this Victorian limestone building with its stepped parapet and keystone arches thrived in Round Rock's booming railroad era. From about 1887 to 1912 it housed the Round Rock Broom Company, whose brooms won a gold medal at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair. Over the years the versatile structure also served as a general store, furniture store, school, skating rink, and car repair shop before being preserved in 1969.
Why it matters
The old broom factory is a reminder of the small-town manufacturing that flourished along the railroads, turning local businesses into competitors on a world's-fair stage.
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