HistoricSiteMarkers
Early Republic

Old Cornelson-Fehr House

Bastrop, Bastrop County, Texas

Marker Inscription

Originated 1850 as frame cabin of John Cornelson. Enlarged after 1854 by Joe Fehr, who used brick from Lottmans' kiln, east of town. Texas Legislature in 1954 designated building and area an historic shrine of Texas. Now Bastrop County Museum. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1967

Erected by Texas Historical Commission

The Story

This building began in 1850 as a humble frame cabin raised by John Cornelson in the young town of Bastrop, only a few years after Texas joined the Union. Joe Fehr enlarged it after 1854 using brick fired at the nearby Lottmans' kiln, giving the modest home its more substantial form. Recognized by the Texas Legislature as a historic shrine in 1954, it now houses the Bastrop County Museum.

Why it matters

It preserves the layered building history of an early Texas river town and serves as a keeper of the county's collective memory.

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Related people

  • ยท John Cornelson
  • ยท Joe Fehr

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