Old Waverly
Evergreen, San Jacinto County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Early center of culture for this part of Texas. Settled 1835-1850's, mainly by people from Alabama. Community was named for the Waverley novels of Sir Walter Scott, then very popular. To provide education equal to any, Waverly Institute was founded in 1854, with separate departments for boys and girls. Plantation system prevailed until 1860's. During Civil War, Federal troops camped in heart of Waverly, on Soldier's Hill. Of three early churches, only the Presbyterian (organized in 1860) still exists; its present building was erected in 1904. (1969)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Settled largely by Alabamans between 1835 and the 1850s, Waverly took its name from Sir Walter Scott's wildly popular novels and became an early center of culture for the region. Its Waverly Institute, founded in 1854 with separate departments for boys and girls, aimed to offer schooling equal to any. A plantation society flourished until the 1860s, and during the Civil War Federal troops camped in the community's heart on Soldier's Hill.
Why it matters
Waverly reflects the aspirations of the antebellum planter South transplanted to Texas — its love of learning and letters alongside a slaveholding economy that the Civil War would upend.
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Related events
- · American Civil War
Themes & tags
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