A Walking Tour of Mason's Courthouse Square
 

Adapted Text by Sally S. Victor and Larry D. Hodge

If you're going to be visiting Mason, you might want to print this handy guide, or stop by the Chamber office and pick up a copy when you're in town.  Y'all have fun!

Begin in front of Mason National Bank, on the south side of the Square. 

Mason’s Courthouse Square is known as a 2-block Square.  The name is derived from intersecting side streets on two sides of the Square, dividing those sides into two blocks, while the other sides are not divided.  This Harrisonburg type Square originated in western Virginia and only nine courthouse Squares in Texas are this type.

1. Fort Mason Hotel / Mason National Bank  (103 Westmoreland)

Mason National Bank is located on a tract of land known as Mill Block because a steam-powered cotton gin operated here before 1900. Later Mason Power & Light Co. operated here.  The company had a curfew on use of electric lights so they could shut the plant down at night.  Originally, only two buildings were located on this side of the Square, one at each end.  The rest was pastureland. In 1928 the Fort Mason Hotel, a brick 4-story building with 54 rooms, ballroom, barber shop and drugstore was built on this site.

Mason National Bank bought the Fort Mason Hotel in 1966 and removed the top two floors. The two bottom floors were converted into the bank building.

The benches you see in front of the bank and elsewhere around the Square are vestagel features of the Mason Main Street Program (see #10 for description). 

In 2003, Mason National Bank completed an extensive restoration of the building’s exterior, just in time for the bank's centennial in 2004.  According to George Brannies, president of the board, "the bank was proud to be able to restore the building to an architectural design in keeping with historic Mason." 

Look at the courthouse.

2.   Mason County Courthouse

This is the third Mason County Courthouse, designed by Dallas architect E. C. Hosford and built in 1909-1910.  It is Classical Revival style and cost $39,786, according to county records. The elaborate metal cornices projecting above the eaves were constructed by the Lange family, who moved to Mason from Brenham after finishing this project. During the 1980s the exterior of the courthouse was repainted using original colors.  Most rooms have a fireplace trimmed with ornately-pressed metal. The district courtroom was renovated with a grant from the Texas Historical Commission in 1986.

Originally the courthouse lawn was packed dirt with mesquite trees. The stately pecan trees of today were planted during the 1930s.  The fine stonewall surrounding the courthouse lawn was built by local contractors Henrich and Ischar in 1927-28.

The other two buildings on the grounds were built in the 1940s under the Works Progress Administration (WPA). In June 1938 the firehouse burned with all fire fighting equipment and trucks. The town raised $1,237 for new fire fighting equipment the next day after the fire. In September, Commissioners Court started plans for a new fire station with the aid of a WPA loan. The stone in the structure was obtained from the old Koocksville Mill, northwest of town.  The other rock building was constructed of native stone and brick and now serves as public restrooms. 

Today the old firehouse houses Mason Law Enforcement Center.

Walk west on Westmoreland to Polk Boot Shop.

3. Polk Boot Shop (107 Westmoreland; marked 118)

This small, white 2-story building, built in the 1940s, occupies the site of a garage where the city fire truck was stored in early days. This arrangement worked fine until the garage burned—with the fire truck inside.

Today Rex Klingelhoefer makes custom-made boots here.  He also has an impressive display of historical artifacts ranging from bottles to dolls to spurs and cowbells.

Walk west to the Mason County Jail.

4. Mason County Jail (109 Westmoreland)

In 1893 two houses occupied Mill Block. This area was vacant until the jail, Mason County’s third, was erected in 1894.  Mrs. Ricks, who operated a boarding house on the west end of the block, was consulted to see if she had any objections to the jail being built so close to her.  She asked that there be a fenced lot and a 25-foot alley between the jail and her property. She also required that the public outhouse on the courthouse grounds be removed.

The jail, built in a modified Romanesque Revival style, had living quarters for the sheriff on the first floor and cells on the second floor. The early jail builders did their job well; the jail still meets minimum state standards and is used to house prisoners on the rare occasions when this is necessary.

Next, cross Post Hill Road.

5. H. J. Hofmann Bldg./Hemphill Insurance  (201/203 Westmoreland)

The fenced lot Mrs. Ricks required be left between her and the new jail became the site of the Airdome Open Air Theater in the early 1900s. A little later, traveling tent shows were held here. Mrs. Ricks may have wished she had not asked for that empty lot, as it apparently afforded her very little peace and quiet. Still later, the lot became Henry Hofmann’s lumberyard and carpentry shop. Today, you can find a field office for the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department and Hemphill Insurance.

Walk west to the corner of Westmoreland and Moody. Stop under the First State Bank sign. Look at the 2-story Bill Martin House across the street.

6. Bill Martin House (204 Moody)

The Bill Martin House, the site of Mason’s first private club, was built of concrete blocks cast locally.  Notice the color bas-relief of a Hereford bull at the peak of the garage.

Past occupants of the house kept Nubian goats in the back, which has a concrete block fence around it.  One goat, Opal, liked to jump up on top of the fence. City work crews across the street would yell at her to get back in the pen, and she would promptly obey. Soon anyone driving by knew to yell, “Opal, get back in your pen!”  whenever they saw her on the fence.

Walk north on Moody Street along the rock wall.

7. City of Mason Offices (124 Moody)

The City of Mason offices are located in this renovated 1923 Mission Revival style building that once served as local offices of West Texas Utilities Company (WTU).  Earlier, the site had been the location of several wagon yards and a warehouse. The tasteful paint job and the locally-made sign are results of the Mason Main Street program. The three look-alike houses directly behind City Hall on Westmoreland Street were built by WTU as employee housing.

8. Odeon Theater (122 Moody)

Next to City Hall is the Odeon Theater, which has been in continuous operation since 1928. Odeon is the Greek word for theatre. In the late 1950’s the Odeon was the site of the pre-premier of Walt Disney’s Old Yeller, the classic movie about a boy and his dog based on Mason native Fred Gipson’s book by the same name.  A bronze statue of Old Yeller stands in front of the Mason County Library, two blocks south of the Courthouse on Post Hill Rd.

The Odeon Preservation Association, Inc. (OPA) purchased the building in September 1994 and is in the process of renovating it. The neon along the top of the building has been replaced and the Odeon is lit up every night! Activities at the Odeon include first run movies, vintage movies, theater productions, and Mason Country Opry held once a month.

9. Otto Schmidt Bldg./Ramona’s Art Gallery (120 Moody)

Otto Schmidt, the owner of the Odeon Theater at the time, constructed this building in 1948 to be used as a photography studio by his son. Ramona Kelso purchased this building in 1966, first operating a gift shop. Ramona currently operates an art gallery displaying works by local and area artists.

10. Matilda Zesch Bldg./Square Café (114 Moody)

In 1928, Matilda Zesch built this building on what had been the site of a wagon yard. The building has contained a furniture store, a Western Auto Store, and most recently, a restaurant. The space is currently empty.

11. Hoerster Bldg. / Market Square and WhipperWheel (106 Moody)

The site where Market Square and WhipperWheel's majestically restored façade now stands once held a building erected about 1869 by Dan Hoerster. Hoerster became brand inspector for the county and was shot near here in 1875 during the HooDoo War. Hoerster’s brother Fritz built a new building on this site in 1906, known locally as the Leifeste building due to the business that was located in this building for so long. The elevator that was used to lift buggies to the second floor can still be seen on the 2nd floor.

Leifeste’s elaborately decorated pressed metal front had been mostly obscured by multiple coats of paint over the years. When the old paint was stripped and the designs were discovered, the decision was made to highlight the decorations by hand, a project that took three months.

Afterwards, this building had the most striking storefront on the Square.

12. Commercial Bank (100 Moody)

The Commercial Bank was founded by Mrs. Anna Martin and her sons, Charles and Max, in 1901, and was originally located in Hedwigs Hill, ten miles south of Mason near the Llano River. Martin is the first woman to found a bank in the United States that is still in existence. She was also a rancher and is the only woman listed on the monument to Mason County ranchers and trail drivers on the east side of the courthouse lawn.

The Commercial Bank occupied several sites around the Square over the years. Its current site was occupied by Thomas Gamel's saloon in the late 1800s, followed by  a Piggly Wiggly Grocery and other businesses during modern times. The current bank building was constructed in 1965, and in 1976, the bank purchased the Larrimore building on the south side, expanding its facility into that building.

The Commercial Bank’s board room houses the personal collection of wood sculptures and bronzes of Gene Zesch, Mason County’s world-famous artist. The collection is open for public viewing during banking hours. If you want to know the time, temperature, and weather in Mason call (325) 347-8212. If you need a cup of coffee or a soft drink, stop by during banking hours. 

Walk to the northwest corner of the courthouse wall. Look at the buildings along the north side of the Square. With few exceptions, all the buildings received facelifts and new paint jobs during the Main Street Project. This locally-funded project began in 1985, spearheaded by Patsy Zesch and Barbara Pluenneke, and brought a renewed sense of community pride to Mason.

Local bankers set up a low-interest loan program for people who wanted to borrow the money but most building owners paid cash for the work on their buildings. As one of the local bankers put it, “People in Mason like to paddle their own canoe.”

That spirit of independence, tempered with a willingness to cooperate for the good of the community, goes far to explain the success of many community improvement projects Mason residents have engaged in over the years. Two examples are the local tennis complex, which attracts tournament entries from all the U.S., and the golf course at Ft. Mason Park. Both projects were totally funded by local contributions.

Cross Ft. McKavitt to the sidewalk in front of the Ranck Building.

13. Ranck Bldg. / Sam's Antiques (246 Ft. McKavitt)

Mason was once a Ranck town-spelled R-a-n-c-k—due to the efforts of an early booster, James Ranck.  Ranck came to Mason in about 1860.  He said that he arrived while Robert E. Lee was still the commander at Fort Mason, which you can see on the hill behind you, over the top of the beautiful deodar cedar tree in front of the Bill Martin House (see #6.).

Ranck was the first Mason County resident to own land on the Square.  With his partner and brother-in-law, William P. Lockhart, Ranck owned the north side of the Square.  This building at the northwest corner of the Square was erected about 1875 and is one of the oldest surviving buildings on the Square.

James Ranck built his store on this corner because he liked the large live oaks, which grew in the area then.  The store had living quarters on the second floor, and both the Rancks and the Lockharts lived upstairs. In 1886 a wedding reception reported to total 1,000 guests was held upstairs. Surely they all did not arrive at the same time! Anna Martin started her Commercial Bank here in 1901. She had paid $4,600 for the building and its contents in 1893. A wood frame addition to the west was removed in 1986, and the ground was littered with square nails.

Now, this space houses an antique store filled with antiques, collectibles and treasures. A renovation of the second floor promises a new B&B in the near future.

244 – 238 Ft.  McKavitt

The history of these buildings is rather murky, but it is known that a saloon, a tobacco and stationery store, and a grocery operated here at one time or another. Note the fine pressed metal ceilings on the awnings in this block.

14. (244 Ft. McKavitt)

This space is currently vacant, but has just been completely renovated.

15. Renee Walker Real Estate (242 Ft. McKavitt)

This real estate company offers a wide variety of residential and commercial listings.

16. Harvest Mill Ministries (240 Ft. McKavitt)

The Harvest Mill Church meets in the old Post Office building on the southwest corner of the square, but their office, and their daily ministry program, is run from this office.

17. Currey’s Fabrics (238 Ft. McKavitt)

This fabric store offers materials, quilting and sewing supplies.

18. Henderson Bldg. / Hinckley’s Country Store & Red Door B&B (226 Ft. McKavitt)

This building was the site of a bank started in 1897 by F. W. Henderson, son of Texas’s first governor, J. Pinckney Henderson. The Hendersons lived in high style above their Bank of Mason, with oriental rugs and ornate furniture gracing floors painted white while French doors opened onto a front balcony.

Anna Martin moved her Commercial Bank here in 1903. The building later became the headquarters of Mason Independent School District before reverting to retail use. The building housed the Winn’s Variety Store until 1994. Brent & Monica Hinckley purchased and renovated the building, then opened a locally owned variety store in 1995. There’s a little bit of everything in this store from crafts to gifts to household wares. 

The red door to the right leads to the Red Door B&B and the Hinckley’s private residence.

Hofmann Bldg. / Hoerster Bldg. (220 – 218 Ft. McKavitt).

These two stores are really one building, with no firewall between and a common stairway. William P. Lockhart operated a general store on this site for many years, and in early times county government met upstairs in his “courting room.”  In the 1880’s Mason had nine individuals who styled themselves doctors, and many had their offices in these buildings—sort of a 19th century medical center.

Note the Mesker Brothers cast-iron fronts on these buildings.  Originally the structures had wooden “western-style” fronts.  The cast-iron fronts were added after 1900. If you look closely at the cast-iron fronts, especially those you will see later on in this block, you’ll see that the decorative parts are bolted onto plain columns. In this way customers could choose different styles, while the manufacturer kept costs down by producing only a limited number of column styles. When considering these columns, it is worth remembering that Mason has never been served by a railroad. All the massive cast-iron work had to be freighted in by wagon.

19. Coffee Mug’n More (220 Ft. McKavitt)

The Hofmann Building, as well as a number of other buildings on the north side of the Square, has a decorative tile entry with the name of the store worked into the tile design. These decorative touches often provide valuable information about the history of the building. This building formerly housed Hofmann Dry Goods Company that was in continuous operation for more than 100 years.

Now, you can read a book, surf the Internet, meet some friends, eat a muffin, or drink an exotic coffee or tea within these historic walls.

20. Ranch Land Western Wear (218 Ft. McKavitt )

The threshold of Ranch Land Western Wear reads Hoerster Building, note the old fans above the recessed entry. This eclectic shop offers western clothes, accessories, fine art and jewelry to meet any shopper’s fancy.

21. Seaquist Bldg./Hospice Thrift Store  (212 Ft. McKavitt)

Note the Seaquist name in the tile at the entry. Oscar Seaquist, who owned the Seaquist Mansion, had a shoe and boot business on one side of this building and a restaurant on the other. The Thrift Store is a bargain hunter’s paradise and all profits go to the Hill Country Memorial Hospital Hospice. The second portion of the building houses Tina Hofmann and her Llano River Real Estate office.

22. Smith Bldg. / Benjie’s Books & Gifts (208 Ft. McKavitt)

This site once held wooden “western-style” buildings that housed businesses such as a jewelry store and tailor shop. These old buildings were probably demolished in the 1920’s and the present structure erected.

The east half of the building was the site of the latest in a long line of barber shops, the last of which closed following the death of the owner in 1986. The old advertising mirror from the shop now hangs in the Mason County Museum.

Benjie’s has a large selection of books written by local writers some famous and some not so famous, like Fred Gipson, Russell Tinsley, Scott Zesch, Burton & Rene Pritzker, and Mike Shanley & Gail Coldiron!  Also,       Benjie’s stocks an extensive collection of Texana books including history, travel, plants, animals & wildflowers as well as local history.

23. Mason National Bank Bldg. / Mason County Tax Appraisal District Office (200 Ft. McKavitt)

This sandstone building with its chamfered corner entry, ribbon lights, and marble trim has its former name preserved in marble and tile at the entry-Mason National Bank.  Before this structure was erected, the site was the location of the Early Dawn Meat Market run by Leo Zesch.  Early photographs around the Square show that this building was originally a 1-story building with a second story constructed c. 1918. 

Walk east across Broad Street.

24. Seaquist Bldg. c. 1914 / Jack Lee, Attorney at Law (100 Broad Street)

The granite column marked “O. Seaquist 1914” tells only part of the story of this building. The Mason Post Office was once located on the site in a wood frame building that burned in 1900.

In 1913, Oscar Seaquist bought the site for $3,000 and hired an architect to design a 1-story building. However, a second story was added to accommodate a local lodge needing a meeting place. Seaquist had a boot shop on the ground floor and judging from the house Seaquist acquired, business must have been good. The Seaquist Mansion is located two blocks to the north on Broad Street.

In later years the building housed the First State Bank, which merged with the Mason National Bank in 1932. Thereafter, the building housed a succession of grocery stores until its conversion to an office building.  Currently, attorney Jack Lee has his office in this space.

25. Vedder Bldg. / Bee's Wax Candles & Mason Square Museum (130-32 Ft. McKavitt)

Great buildings don’t make great towns—great people do.  The Vedder buildings deserve special mention not only because they are fine buildings, but also because of the dedication of the Davenport family, the prior owners, to the preservation of Mason history.

Grace Ray Davenport was one of the driving forces behind the Main Street Project, and her many years of research on the history of the buildings around the Square underpin the information in this tour.  She kept historical photographs on display in the pharmacy, and a visit with her was always a must to appreciate fully the Square and what it means to Mason.

The western building was built by C. S. Vedder about 1902.  Vedder ran a confectionery and ice cream plant and later expanded into bottling soft drinks. Vedder Drug Store, with its 20-foot pressed tin ceilings, electric ceiling fans and lights, and wood showcases, became the home of Davenport Pharmacy in 1942, when the Davenports moved from the Fort Mason Hotel. The Davenports expanded into the building to the east, formerly a tin shop, after a fire in 1976 destroyed much of the interior.

Davenport Pharmacy was the first store on the Square to complete work under the Main Street Project. In keeping with Mason tradition of “paddling your own canoe,” Davenport’s son-in-law, Gary Worden, did repair and painting, replicating missing portions of the metal façade in auto body filler. It was the second storefront on the Square to complete work on repainting during the 1995 Mason County Square “Facelift.”

Davenport Pharmacy finally closed its doors in 2004 when owner, Grace Ray Davenport, finally decided to retire. The western building is now the home of Bee's Wax Candles, a unique store offering natural wax candles and supplies. The eastern building is currently under renovation to become the Mason Square Museum.

26. Kothmann & Jordan Bldg. / Aunt Elizabeth’s Flowers (126 Ft. McKavitt)

The “K and J” in the tile at the entry stands for Kothmann and Jordan, brothers-in-law who were dealers and manufacturers of high grade saddles, harnesses, whips, collars, lap robes and all other goods to be found in a first class saddlery establishment.

Now, visitors can shop for gifts, baskets, plus live and silk floral arrangements.

27. David Young Law Office & Mason Square Bed & Breakfast  (124 Ft. McKavitt)

This building has been extensively remodeled recently.  The New Orleans style 2-story gallery is a recent addition. It was the last building on the Square to be renovated. Built sometime in the late 1880s, the building housed Henry McDougall’s Buckhorn Saloon from around 1900 until 1905. After McDougall’s death, his wife added the second story, running a combination rooming house, office building, and saloon. The building still contains a well and pump that once supplied water for the entire block. The well room also has a barbecue pit dating from a time when the building housed a meat market.

Mason Square Bed & Breakfast on the second floor offers comfortable rooms, each with lovely antiques and a private bath.

120 – 114 Ft. McKavitt (two buildings, four businesses)

The history of these four spaces is quite convoluted as a variety of businesses have been located in them, even in recent history.  The original builders of these two buildings are lost in the mists of time.

28. Shain Chapman Law Office (120 Ft. McKavitt) 

A Cheap Cash store, a jewelry store, a dry cleaning store, and a men’s wear store are some of the former tenants in this space, which is currently occupied by an attorney’s office.

29. Stark Gun Works (118 Ft. McKavitt)

In the late 1880s, this building was occupied by First National Bank. Now, within its walls, construction is underway to turn it into a custom gun shop.

30. MKM Total Care (116 Ft. McKavitt)

J. S. King and Schmidt were close friends, and remodeled their shops to look alike in 1922, including the addition of the decorative tile entryways.  Today, King’s space houses a home health agency's community outreach office, with Christian bookstore and information center.

31. The  Cotton Patch (114 Ft. McKavitt)

The City of Mason offices were once located in The Cotton Patch’s current site. Now, rather than paying utility bills, visitors can shop for candles and cards, plus unique gifts and collectibles.

Bridges Bldgs. (110 – 108 Ft. McKavitt)

These two buildings are known as the Bridges Buildings and were constructed sometime in the 1880s.

32. Lilacs & Calico Boutique  (110 Ft. McKavitt)

In earlier times, this site was occupied by the Racket Store. We don’t know what their racket was.  Early portable radios, perhaps. Today, this site is a boutique with wonderful clothing for kids and adults plus accessories and gifts. The second floor of the building houses a modern office for a locally-owned company.

33. Mason County Chamber of Commerce (108 Ft. McKavitt)

This building was once the site of the Mason County Bank, established in 1887 by F. W. Henderson, who also founded another bank in Mason.  Later the building was used for more mundane purposes—dress shops, drugstores, and the like.

The Chamber of Commerce now provides Mason’s citizens and visitors with travel information, maps and information on Mason and Mason County in this historic structure.

34. The Schmidt Bldg./Willow Creek Café (106 Ft. McKavitt)

Note the fine Mesker Brothers cast-iron fronts and expanses of glass on this 1904 building and compare it to Underwood Food Store on the northeast corner of the Square.  Only these two buildings on the Square have such lavish use of glass.  The buildings once had simple wooden western-style fronts; the glass was added at the same time as the cast iron fronts. The Schmidt Building is also notable for its huge doors, which were an asset to the Ford dealer located here—a Model T could easily be driven through the entrance. Schmidt sold hardware, wagons, buggies, and hacks.

Steaks, burgers, salads and homemade desserts are just some of the delicious fare available at the café that now occupies this striking building. 

The S&H Buildings (102 - 100 Ft. McKavitt)

35. (102 Ft. McKavitt)

This western portion of the S&H Bldg. was added around 1888.

36. (100 Ft. McKavitt)

The eastern portion of this building was erected in 1884, according to the legend on the façade and a mercantile and hide-buying business at first. 

An early Coca-Cola bottling plant was located here, but in 1929, William Koock bought the business and switched to Dr. Pepper. 

Before World War I the German American National Bank operated here, expeditiously changing its name to Mason National Bank once hostilities began between the United States and Germany.

Look at the Mason House on the northeast corner of the Square.

37. Mason House (100 Live Oak)

The north side of the Square begins and ends with James Ranck. Ranck saw the need for a hotel to serve the town he was trying so hard to build, so he built the Mason House Hotel. This is one of the oldest buildings on the Square, dating to perhaps 1870.

Used in the past as apartments, it is now owned by Sue and Keith Kaan who have been renovating the building since 1998 and use it as their private residence. The former lobby has a six-foot mantel and opens onto the front south room via a huge double door. The walls are 18” thick. A long narrow room north of the lobby was used as the hotel dining room; stories are told of outlaws enjoying-and straining-the hospitality. 

Other buildings were part of this complex when it was a stage stop on the line from San Antonio—a schoolroom, a shoe shop, stables, and pens. The livery stable still remains, the small building to the east.

Cross Ft. McKavitt Street to the northeast corner of the courthouse wall and stand behind the yellow curb by the flags and the Mason County Veterans Memorial.

If you feel a sudden chill as you stand here, it may not be the effect of salubrious breezes wafting from Comanche Creek. This spot was once the site of the Mason County Jail, and in 1874, during the HooDoo War, five accused rustlers were taken from the jail by a mob. Two were hanged; one was cut down before he died; another was shot; one escaped. 

Look at the north side of the Square to view the facades of the buildings.

Then look at Underwood Antique Mall.

38. Underwood Antique Mall (101 S. Live Oak)

The initials of several generations of Mason citizens are carved in the soft sandstone north wall of this handsome building with its Mesker Brothers cast-iron front and vast expanses of glass similar to the Schmidt Building. This site has housed a grocery store almost from the earliest times.  Perhaps this is where the term "corner grocery" originated. When the grocery business in Mason got a little overloaded, the Underwoods changed gears and installed an antique mall with a wide variety of antiques and collectibles. They have a little something for everyone including glassware, Mason County Topaz, jewelry, furniture - you name it!

Walk south along the courthouse wall.

39.       C&G Building/Willows (103 S. Live Oak)

If a sweet little town like Mason could have had a den of iniquity, the C&G Building would have been it.  Dating from 1879, the building first housed a saloon and pool hall, the twin tickets to ruination for many a young man. At least three people were killed in gunfights here. Later, in an extreme turnabout, church suppers were held here. E. Henrich and Son operated a saddle shop and sporting goods store at this location for many years. Willows, a clothing and jewelry store is the resident of this historical building.

40.  Mason Gallery (105 S. Live Oak)

This building’s history is difficult to separate from the C&G Building  since they are on the same lot.  There seems to have been a harness shop and a drug store here, among others.  The building probably dates from the 1870s.  The previous owner, Dorothy Henrich Tartt, was a first cousin to local world famous author Fred Gipson.

The building is now home to a fine art and frame store. Changing exhibits offer a chance for residents and visitors to see a variety of artistic styles and expressions.

Zesch Buildings c. 1927 (110-112 S. Live Oak)

These two buildings have been home to grocery stores, an auto parts store, and a café.  An ex-Texas Ranger once ran a pool hall here.  The awnings have very ornate pressed metal ceilings.

41. Mason County News (110 S. Live Oak)

This space now houses the publishing office for the Mason County News, Mason’s news source since 1873.

42. The Petal Patch (112 S. Live Oak)

Inside, shoppers will find beautiful silk floral designs, decorating accessories and all manner of other items to accent home, office or special occasion. The south side of the business contains their Christmas store, and the inventory is available all year long.

Walk to the Trail Driver Statue on the courthouse lawn.

43. Trail Driver Statue

Mason County has a long history of ranching. During the 1986 Sesquicentennial, this bronze by Mason County sculptor Mitch Mikeska was dedicated to honor early Mason county ranchers and trail drivers.  The names of many early ranchers and trail drivers are inscribed on the base of the statue.

Walk to the southeast corner of the courthouse wall.

44. R. Grosse and Sons (114 S. Live Oak)

Grosse and Sons rounded out 100 years of business in Mason in 1987, celebrating the event with the dedication of a Texas Historical Marker for their business.

Grosse studied architecture in Germany, and it was he who designed and contracted the rebuilding of the Seaquist Mansion in 1891 (the Seaquist Mansion is located two blocks north on Broad Street). He also designed the Mason County Jail you saw earlier, as well as several fine Mason County churches and a number of homes.

Apparently, in the manner of a mechanic who works on everybody’s cars but his own, Grosse had little energy left to devote to his own edifice. The rather simple wooden building on the right, with its stuccoed front, has been the home of Grosse Lumber Company for all of its 100 plus years. The hardware section of Grosse’s is housed in a building of the same style as the two Zesch buildings, but its exact origins are unknown.

45. Frosty Miller Ranch Real Estate (705 San Antonio/Hwy 87 south)

This fine sandstone residence with its rock fence dates from about 1873.  If it looks romantic to you, it’s with good reason:  the home was twice given as a wedding present to newlyweds. If the gift seems extravagant, remember that prices were not the same in those days as they are now; the house and lot sold for $903 in 1893. The building was bought by new owners in 2003, and how serves as the Mason offices of Frosty Miller Ranch Real Estate.

46. Santos Taqueria (205 San Antonio)

This building has housed a succession of service stations throughout its life, possibly starting as early as 1916. After an extensive renovation, it has begun a new life as a Mexican eatery, offering a tasty fare of quesadillas and other Mexican specialties. Next door to the south is a first for Mason County - a winery! Sandstone Winery opened in 2004 and now offers wine by the bottle or glass to residents and visitors. Diners at Santo's can also enjoy winearitas, wine by the glass and other treats.

This concludes our tour of the Mason’s Courthouse Square. We hope you enjoy your visit here today, and we invite you to come again to Mason County, the Gem of the Hill Country. You’ll find friendly folks, Mason topaz, great antique shopping, the best bed and breakfasts, and the most wonderful people in Texas!  Stop by the Mason County Chamber of Commerce for more information and brochures about Mason and Mason County.

Mason County Chamber of Commerce
PO Box 156
Mason, TX 76856
masontexas@hctc.net
325/347-5758
325/347-5259 FAX
Webmaster
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