Bastrop--South and West Texas; A National Register of Historic Places Travel Itinerary

Bastrop County Courthouse Complex
Photo Courtesy of Neil R. Gurwitz

One of the oldest towns in Texas, Bastrop was founded at the Colorado River crossing of the Camino Real (the Spanish-built road connecting Mexico and the Texas missions) between San Antonio and Nacogdoches. Settled briefly during the Spanish Colonial period, Bastrop was colonized by the founder of Anglo Texas, Stephen F. Austin, about 1830. Bastrop became one of the few Texas towns established during Mexican rule. The downtown Bastrop Commercial District includes many Victorian commercial buildings. Bastrop has more than 100 historic buildings as well as other resources, including the Bastrop County Courthouse and Jail Complex, listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Scattered throughout the town are large, elegant Greek Revival, Victorian, and early 20th-century houses as well as one-story Victorian cottages. The Bastrop State Park is an outstanding example of a state park constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s. The Bastrop Old Town Visitor Center is located in the 1889 First National Bank Building 1016 Main Street in downtown Bastrop.

Bastrop, is located east of Austin on the Colorado River at the intersection of US 71 and Highway 95. Visit the Old Town Visitor Center website or call 512-303-0904 for further information. The Bastrop State Park, a National Historic Landmark is located east of downtown on Highway 21. Visit the park's website or call 512-321-2101 for visitor information. Several historic places in Bastrop have also been documented by the Historic American Buildings Survey.