Old Thomas Ranch House
Burnet, Burnet County, Texas
Marker Inscription
In 1864 a log home and a "spring house" (used to cool milk) were built on this site by Frank Thomas, rancher. Present rock house, built to catch breeze, was added 1880-1882; is of limestone quarried 3 miles northeast. Fire (1910) razed log house. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1968
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Rancher Frank Thomas built a log home and a spring house—used to keep milk cool—on this site in 1864. Between 1880 and 1882 he added the present rock house of local limestone, quarried three miles away and designed to catch the Hill Country breeze. Fire destroyed the original log house in 1910, leaving the sturdy stone dwelling as the surviving record of a pioneer ranching family.
Why it matters
The Thomas ranch house reflects the everyday ingenuity of frontier Texas ranchers, who built with local stone and simple cooling techniques to make a living on the Hill Country range.
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Related people
- · Frank Thomas
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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