A Visit to the Fanthorp Inn

Last week we had a short family outing to a local historic site, the Fanthorp Inn, an early 1850 Texas stagecoach stop and family home. 

A little history...

The double-pen, cedar log dogtrot house was built by an English immigrant, Henry Fanthorp, when Texas was part of Mexico. Fanthorp petitioned Stephen F. Austin in 1832 for permission to settle in this Original Austin Colony. He bought 1100 acres and built his house in 1834 on the road that crossed his land, thus bringing travelers to his door immediately. Henry Fanthorp was appointed Postmaster by the Provisional Texas Government in 1835 and saw the advantage of offering other services and goods to his frequent visitors. Within time, Fanthorp's became a well-known stopping place for both travelers and the community.

Just a few interesting facts from the tour:

-Anderson was one of the biggest cities in Texas when the inn was in operation
-Henry and his wife both died from "the fever" within days of each other. Their daughter cared for the home meticulously after their passing, which is why it is in such great condition today
-The new railroads that were built missed Anderson, which is why it is no longer a "big city"
-Men who would stay at the inn slept sometimes 3 to a bed, ladies got their own room for privacy
-Women and children were not allowed to ride in stagecoaches. Since space was so tight and sometimes up to 18 passengers rode at a time, it would be considered improper for women to be this close to other men
-The dining area doubled as a saloon where travelers would enjoy local moonshine
-The people back then were very small in stature. All of the furniture in the house was really small!!

daddy & his girls

Ebug checking out the stagecoach

She wasn't too sure about the stagecoach ride!