West Columbia in Brazoria County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
The Capitol Buildings
Photographed by Craig Doda, May 7, 2020
1. The Capitol Buildings Marker
Inscription.
The Capitol Buildings. . No single building was large enough to house both the House of Representatives and the Senate. Two buildings served the two bodies of Congress with a number of smaller log houses serving as offices and committee rooms. The Senate met in a structure built by Captain Henry S. Brown in 1832 that served as his family's residence until his death in 1834. It was a two-story building with two rooms below and two above. The building, which once stood on the south side of Brazos Avenue, was torn down in 1888. The House of Representatives met in a store constructed by Leman Kelsey about 1833. This building stood on the north side of Brazos Avenue almost directly across the street from the Brown house where the Senate met. An early settler who was in Columbia during the days of the republic, Mr. John Adriance, referred to the Kelsey building as the "old capitol,” because Stephen F. Austin worked in a shed at its rear. Although the original structure was destroyed by the 1900 storm, a replica of the Kelsey building was constructed in 1977.
No single building was large enough to house both the House of
Representatives and the Senate. Two buildings served the two
bodies of Congress with a number of smaller log houses serving
as offices and committee rooms. The Senate met in a structure
built by Captain Henry S. Brown in 1832 that served as his family's
residence until his death in 1834. It was a two-story building with
two rooms below and two above. The building, which once stood
on the south side of Brazos Avenue, was torn down in 1888.
The House of Representatives met in a store constructed by
Leman Kelsey about 1833. This building stood on the north side
of Brazos Avenue almost directly across the street from the Brown
house where the Senate met. An early settler who was in Columbia during the days of the republic, Mr. John Adriance, referred to
the Kelsey building as the "old capitol,” because Stephen F. Austin
worked in a shed at its rear. Although the original structure was
destroyed by the 1900 storm, a replica of the Kelsey building was
constructed in 1977.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Government & Politics. A significant historical year for this entry is 1832.
Location. 29° 8.679′ N, 95° 38.859′ W. Marker is in West Columbia, Texas, in Brazoria County. It is at the intersection of
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East Brazos Avenue (State Highway 35) and North 16th Street, on the right when traveling west on East Brazos Avenue. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: West Columbia TX 77486, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Houston Metropolitan Area. It is also in the American South and on the Gulf Coast. Globally, it is in North America, a Gulf of Mexico state, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain, the Republic of Texas, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Credits. This page was last revised on January 16, 2021. It was originally submitted on January 12, 2021, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. This page has been viewed 473 times since then and 25 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on January 12, 2021, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
