Whitehall
Sutherland Springs, Wilson County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Built by Joseph Polley (1795-1869), one of "Old 300" settlers of Stephen F. Austin, and the first Austin colony sheriff. From Fort Bend and Austin counties, he at last settled here, where he had cattle herds called largest in Texas. In 1847-51 he built this stone mansion, with framing of Bandera Cypress, and cabinet work shipped by sea from New York. This was area social center. From here house guest Robert E. Lee wrote his last Texas letter. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1962
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Whitehall was the home of Joseph Polley, one of Stephen F. Austin's "Old 300" colonists and the first sheriff of the Austin colony. After settling here with cattle herds said to be among the largest in Texas, he built this stone mansion between 1847 and 1851, framing it with Bandera cypress and importing cabinetwork by sea from New York. A social center of its day, it hosted Robert E. Lee, who wrote his last Texas letter from beneath its roof.
Why it matters
It links the founding families of Anglo Texas to the cattle frontier and to figures like Robert E. Lee on the eve of the Civil War.
Plan your visit
NearbyMake a day of it — museums, food, and places to stay near this marker.
Attractions
- Green Acres Golf and Games14.9 mi away
Places data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Hours and details change — call ahead.
Own a business near here? Add it to the map.
Related people
- · Joseph Polley
- · Robert E. Lee
- · Stephen F. Austin
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
Polley Cemetery
Sutherland Springs, TX
Joseph Henry Polley came to Texas in 1820 with Moses Austin and returned in 1821 as one of Stephen F. Austin's original "Old 300" colonists, settling in the Brazoria District and marrying Mary Bailey, daughter of the pioneer Brit Bailey. Polley served as sheriff and aided fleeing families during the Runaway Scrape of 1836 while Mary molded candles for the first Texas Congress. In 1847 the family moved to this area and built their home, Whitehall; the cemetery began the next year with the burial of a daughter who died in childbirth, and Mary, the matriarch, was the last laid to rest here in 1888.
Rector Chapel Cemetery
La Vernia, TX
This cemetery grew from the friendship of two early La Vernia settlers: William Wiseman, who ran the town's first cotton gin, and William Claiborne Rector, a veteran of the Battle of San Jacinto who farmed, carried the mail, and supplied horses for the stage line. Together they organized the Cibolo Presbyterian Church in 1852, and after Rector's death Wiseman built a new chapel on his farm named in his friend's honor, setting aside four acres in 1877 for worship and burial. Though the chapel itself was moved to town in 1891, the weathered gravestones still mark the community's founding generation.
Sutherland Springs Cemetery
Sutherland Springs, TX
Dr. John Sutherland, a Virginia-born physician, came to Texas in 1835 and was helping ready the Alamo's defense when a horse accident left him unable to fight; Col. Travis instead sent him riding to Gonzales for help, and the Mexican army stormed the fort before aid could come. Sutherland later settled near the sulphur springs on the Cibolo, boarding health-seekers in his home, which became a stop on the San Antonio–to–coast stage line. He set aside about five acres as a community cemetery in 1860, and the ground now holds Texas Rangers, veterans, officials, and residents of every background who built Wilson County.
Cibolo Crossing on the Gonzales Road
La Vernia, TX
Under Mexican rule, the Gonzales Road linked the DeWitt Colony settlement of Gonzales to San Antonio de Béxar, fording the Cibolo Creek at a natural crossing about twenty-two miles east of the town. That ford ran through land granted to spy Erastus "Deaf" Smith, who is said to have watched Mexican troops from a nearby tree in 1835. The crossing became a rendezvous during the Texas Revolution, where relief forces under captains like Juan Seguín and Albert Martin gathered in early 1836 hoping to reinforce the Alamo, before annexation and new roads left the old ford abandoned.