National Register Listing

Rogers, Edward H., Homestead

a.k.a. 41 TV 294

N of Austin off TX 1325, Austin, TX

The father of Edward H. Rogers was James B. Rogers, one of the original settlers of Austin's Little colony. Rogers received his grant in 1831 at the mouth of Shoal Creek and moved it shortly thereafter to its location north of the headwaters of Shoal creek. Rogers served as an election judge for the Mina district. Rogers' brother Joseph was a member of the militia and was killed by Indians in 1837 at Rogers Hill beginning a cemetery at that spot.

Edward H. Rogers married Sallie A. Moss and received a tract from his father from Rogers' grant, which he inherited officially in 1867 at Rogers death. E. H. and Sallie Rogers had a son Edward H., Jr. who died in 1937.*

The house site is located on an abandoned segment of the Bagdad Road opened in the 1840's or 1850's between Austin and Bagdad in Williamson county. This road was a principal road northwest for a considerable time, probably until the 1930's.

The house is in reasonably good condition and is a stone variation of the Texas dog trot cabin, thereby being unique architecturally. The barn is in unusually good condition as are the cisterns. The house is a variation of the two room and hall frontier log cabin common in early Texas having two chimneys. its style is unlike the early Anglo cabins in its construction and enclosed dog trot and considerably different in its plan from the German settlements. (See Alexander, D. B., 1966, Texas Homes of the Nineteenth century.)

The buildings were most probably constructed by Edward H. Rogers at the time of his marriage to Sallie A. Moss in January of 1861 making the structure one of the very few constructed in the Austin area between 1861 and 1865. Rogers and his wife first occupied the house, followed by their son Edward H. Rogers who lived there until his death in 1937. The house appears to have been vacant since that time.

The major significance of the complex lies in its representation of a mid-nineteenth century farm complex. Agriculturally, it is a good example of the many small farmsteads once common in the rural areas around Austin. Most such farms have been destroyed by urban and industrial development or have disappeared; absorbed into large farming or ranching establishments. The significance of the complex in relation to communications is associated with its location on a principal road from Austin to Duval and Bagdad. This road served as a main artery to Burnet and at a later date the Austin and North West and the Illinois and Great Northern Railroad followed the road from Llano to Austin carrying granite for the present state capitol. The farm apparently served as a watering stop for wagons using the road.

Local significance of the district:
Listed in National Register of Historic Places in 1974.