About 45 minutes south of Ft Worth is the historic and still smallish town of Granbury Texas…read more Growing up in Dallas I was familiar with the name and where it's located but,I never visited. I've been to many of the surrounding towns like Cleburn and Weatherford but, just never had occasion to go through Granbury. That all changed yesterday when I was in need of a day trip. You know, the kind that refreshes. The whole idea of driving an hour or two and exploring and discovering a place you haven't been always pushes my hot button. Granbury has been a popular day trip spot due to its Dallas Ft Worth proximity for sometime. It began " Gentrifying" long before it was trendy. Partially because of the lake that's there as a result of the Brazos river. Combine that with a small Texas town and you have a winner. I rolled into town about 10:30 am on a cloudy and chilly day. Parked the car and began walking around the square. In the center of the square,as with most Texas Towns,sits the Hood County Courthouse. Texas courthouses are located in the county seat. In this case Granbury. As a result,counties grew out of this design and a lot of significant history lies in the court houses of Texas. A bonus is,85% of them are archetectually beautiful. The Hood County Courthouse is less beautiful but still unique. I didn't have time to fully explore but, will return to do so. There is a lot of limestone readily available around this area and as a result,a significant number of the historic buildings were built from it. This has resulted in most of them surviving over 100 plus years and adding to the charming aesthetic of the town square. Nothing is vacant here. All the buildings in town are preserved , restored and occupied. I love to see that. Too many of our small towns are decaying due to lack of demand and neglect. If you live within an hour or two,you can't go wrong checking out the historic Granbury Square with all its shopping,restaurants and historical attractions. Go!

The Granbury Square is actually a truly neat area of Granbury, TX…read more It's no surprise that it lies near Lake Granbury - or rather, the Brazos River. The one negative I found was the majority of the road signage. Could be clearer. Put in more adequate places. Nearby is the Hilton Garden Inn where I stayed. If you're able to shell out even more money than that, I was highly intrigued with places like Hotel Lucy, Inn on Lake Granbury, Blue Heron Bed & Breakfast, and that place I really wanted to snooze in at... N on the Square. Without someone to accompany on this Thanksgiving road trip, I did not feel inclined to dig so deep into my pocketbook. The Square itself was decorated rather tastefully for Christmas when I was there 11/25-26/2023. Other points of interest that piqued my interest: + Granbury Opera House + ghost tours (there were at least two that I saw mentioned, but not sure if they were even open) + The Fillin' Station (a burger joint) + several other eateries including a taco shop, coffee bar, a wine bar, saloon, and a few shops and boutiques Public restrooms were available. Parking was free in all of the lots and side streets I drove past. Lastly, I would like to recommend the Ketzler's Schnitzel Haus and Biergarten for dinner. I have a review for that place in queue.

This home was built in 1892, and is still in the original family. This is a High Style House with…read moreQueen Ann stylistic influence. The home was constructed of materials that were typical to the period, the outside walls were cypress wood held in place with square nails, and the home was placed on stone piers which were cemented together. The interior of the home was decorated with materials particular to the area as well, with wallpaper, window and door moldings, and milled tongue and groove wood paneling in the hallways and kitchen. The home was built with five bedrooms and has a basement. There was a small house on the property that was converted to a barn after the Daniel House was built. There were also two other outbuildings, a chicken house and a small wash house, both were frame construction on stone foundations. The wash house is the only outbuilding that remains today. At the turn of the century the kitchen was updated and the back upstairs bedroom was converted to a bathroom and storage room. A stairway was added at this time leading from the kitchen to the upstairs bathroom. A downstairs bathroom was added in the 1920's. Two of the three original chimneys were removed in the 1930's to make way for gas heat, and other than electricity and the bathrooms the house remains much the same today as it did when it was built. Hand-woven rugs even still grace the floors of the home along with other details particular to the era. The home is owned by the grand-daughter of William B. Daniel, Jane Craddock. This home is in the Register of Texas Historic Landmarks as well as being a local landmark. The Daniel House was designated a Granbury Historical Landmark by the City of Granbury Historic Commission September 5, 2000. This information was obtained from their website.

This primitive farmhouse was built around 1916 for Will Stringfellow and his family. The home was…read morebuilt of lumber and other old materials from Confederate Major John A. Formwalt's first Granbury residence, which was located on the same site. Formwalt settled in what is now Hood County in the 1850s. He formed a local militia to fight the Indians as early Hood County settlers ventured West of the Brazos River. He served under General Hiram Granbury during the Civil War. Formwalt later became a three-term Granbury justice of the peace. The Stringfellow home still occupies a quarter-block, and was actually a small farmstead in the village. Here the Stringfelllows planted a large vegetable garden, nurtured fruit trees, raised a cow, and stabled their horses and a team of mules. Their small farmstead had a water well, a storm cellar, an outhouse and a carriage house, all built by Major Formwalt. The late Mrs. Helen Gilmartin, a descendant of several pioneer Hood County families, purchased this farmstead in 1975. She furnished the home with her antique collection, and many of her local pieces remain in the house. Mrs. Gilmartin, a noted antique dealer, recreated an authentic old country store, in the rock structure next door, called "Gilmartins General Store", which she opened to the public. Mrs. Gilmartin was also known for her circa 1950s aluminum Christmas tree she left up year round. The steep Victorian cross gables are a significant architectural element of the Stringfellow-Gilmartin Farmhouse. The interior of this home features rough-hewn wood walls, original woodwork and sliding pocket doors. The Stringfellow-Gilmartin House was designated a local landmark July 1, 2008. This information was obtained from their website.

The previous review was many years ago when this was a B&B. This house is under new ownership and…read morehas been beautifully restored. It is now available as a guesthouse through AirBNB and has all the wonderful amenities of an upscale boutique hotel. The history of the home, in the article, is accurate, however. Only two blocks off the amazing Historic Granbury Square, this home is the perfect getaway!

This live oak tree was designated a Granbury Historic Tree April 26, 2002 in honor of Arbor Day…read more When the tree was landmarked, it was known as the "legendary hanging tree", but further research has indicated that no one was hung from the tree, that the hanging was on scaffolding built in the back of a wagon. This information was obtained from their website.

The Nutt House, also known as "D.L. Nutt Home" was built in 1879 in its existing location. The…read morehouse remains one of the best examples of a High-Style, Greek revival home. The charm of the structure has been maintained by its inhabitants for the last 120 years. The home was designed and built by a man whose last name was Evans. He also built the Hannaford House on Lambert Street. The house, described both as a High Style Victorian or Plantation-style home with Greek Revival details, still retains its original detail. The historic, architectural and cultural significance of the house is evidenced by the fact that the house is in its original location and has been largely maintained in its original state. The fact that the house was constructed by a skilled local craftsman demonstrates the uniqueness of the house's design. The house was built for David Lee Nutt who was a very successful business owner in Granbury's early history. Nutt was an early Hood County entrepreneur who was also involved in the development of several of Granbury's most important institutions including churches, schools and a bridge built over the Brazos River in 1878. The Nutt family is arguably the most significant family in Granbury and Hood County's history. Additionally, the woman who restored the home in 1967 was Mary Lou Watkins Nutt, who is widely regarded as the founder of the preservation movement in Granbury. David Lee Nutt was involved in the early settlement of Granbury, even though he was one of the youngest of all the Nutt brothers. In fact, he was involved in defending the territory in significant Indian raids and won the heart of Sudie Garland, daughter of Captain Peter Garland who led local campaigns to defend the area from Indian raids. By all accounts, D.L. Nutt was a very industrious entrepreneur who worked very hard in the business he shared with his brothers. After building the house, D.L and Sudie opened their home to the "drummers" or travelling salesmen who were showcased their wares for the Nutt's mercantile store. In fact, it was Sudie who finally persuaded her husband to add a wing on to the house to accommodate these individuals, thereby opening Granbury's first hotel - The Nutt House. A narrative of the family provided to the Texas Historical Commission describes the friendly nature of D.L. and Sudie, "As host and hostess, Mr. Nutt and his amiable wife are without peers as entertainers, and all who stop beneath their roof are made to feel at home." The Nutts closed the hotel in 1900 and dismantled the wing addition and porches were added to the home. Mary Lou Watkins who was the granddaughter of D.L. and Sudie purchased the house in the mid-1960s and began an extensive restoration. The home is a fantastic example of a High-Style Victorian with Greek revival influence, which was somewhat rare for this part of the country in 1879. The Nutts added a wing onto the house when Ms. Nutt decided to profit from the drummers who came home with Mr. Nutt. The Nutts entertained their guests for a few years and the "Nutt House" hotel wing was removed in 1900 and converted to expansive porches. When Mary Lou Watkins began renovations on the home in the 1960s, she eliminated the expansive front porch and restored much of the interior. She obtained a Recorded Texas Historical Landmark in 1967. The current owner, Mr. Stuart Brown, also completed an extensive restoration on much of the outside of the home by re-leveling the foundation and restoring porch balusters and columns. Additionally, Mr. Brown added another bathroom upstairs to one of the bedrooms, thereby extending the upstairs footprint. The house includes most of the original woodwork and windows as well as much of the interior floors. Ms.Watkins replaced the staircase with a staircase obtained from a historic home in Dallas. The interior of the home also maintains much of its original moldings and millwork. While all the information on the architect and builder of the home has not been obtained, we do know that Mr. Evans also designed and constructed the Hannaford House, another fine home in Granbury. The home was constructed from cypress lumber hauled from east Texas by an oxcart. The Nutt House is most assuredly a familiar visual feature of the city. Because it was built on site 120 years ago, the home has seen Granbury through many eras. The house is one of the largest and most magnificent of all the historic homes in Granbury. The home is included in Granbury's tour of homes and is a very popular stop when it is included on the Candlelight Tour of Homes. The D.L. Nutt-Watkins House was designated a local landmark November 17, 2009. This information was obtained from their website.

Granbury's Railroad Depot is shining example of early commerce in Hood County. The building remains…read morein relatively the same condition since its original construction in 1914. The depot has been the hub of the county's development and has seen substantial changes in Granbury's cultural and economic growth. The one-story, rectangular brick depot features wide eaves and a hipped roof. Interestingly, the roof still maintains much of its original Ludowici clay tiles. The Granbury Railroad Depot possesses significance in area history, architecture and culture. Built in 1914, it is a remaining symbol of rail transportation to and from Granbury, which triggered a great economic boom here in the 1880s. The Depot is associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of local, regional, state and national history. The expansion of the railroad across the U.S. brought prosperity and new innovations to lands that had been without. Granbury was no exception. The arrival of the railroad had an "immediate impact" on the local economy and property values rose exponentially. The Depot had separate waiting room sections for white and black passengers, which demonstrates the plight of African Americans in the south after the Civil War. Granbury's founding town fathers together donated $25,000 to bring the Fort Worth and Rio Grande Railroad to Granbury in 1887. These men included Ashley Crockett and E.A. Hannaford. Granbury citizens who used the train included farmers, ranchers and businessmen who used the depot to ship their goods. The Depot is similar to historic Texas railroad stations which also have the wide overhanging eaves and the separate waiting rooms for different ethnic groups. The Depot was built by employees of the Frisco Railroad using brick, stone and trademark Ludowici clay roof tiles which were from the original clay tile factory in New Lexington, Ohio, which burned in the 1950s. The Depot is no doubt, one of the most established and familiar visual features of Granbury. It stands as a monument of progress in this community from rustic pioneer settlements to rural Texas county seat. The Granbury Railroad Depot was designated a local landmark November 8, 2008. This information was obtained from their website.

It's a wonderful historical monument and coincidentally just down a gentle slope from where all my…read moreancestors are buried on my paternal grandmother's side of our family

Built 1908-14, the Bowden-Kennon House is in the Register of Texas Historic Landmarks as well as…read morebeing a Granbury landmark. It is a Popular house in the style of Free Classic. The home is two stories, center passage plan design, and on a pier and beam foundation. The inset porch is supported by Doric columns and the windows are inlayed with a decorative diamond pattern. The four large gables, one at each side of the house, are just one of the home's many distinctive features. Many of the windows on this home are original all but the two front windows have delicate Gothic wood tracery, rather than traditional panes. The rooms on the first floor still have the original tongue and groove interlocking pine floors as do the rooms on the second floor along with tall wooden baseboards. R. W. Bowden became a Granbury merchant at just fifteen, when he opened a small candy store. After that, he ran a Confectionary Shop on the town square with Alfred Peveler. In 1894, R. W. Bowden purchased the Bon Ton Dining Parlor, which was famous for fresh oysters, fish, ice cream and cold drinks. In 1901, R. W. Bowden bought the Granbury telephone system and helped build the first telephone lines going west out of Granbury. R. W. Bowden owned a drug store on the square, along with Dave Gardner, but they sold after a year. R. W. Bowden owned the fifth car registered in Granbury, and owned the Granbury Auto Garage until 1913. Mr. Bowden also owned a department store on the Square, The Fair, which he also sold in 1913. Mr. Bowden served on the Official Board of Elders for the Presbyterian Church and also served on the board of the First Methodist Church for many years. P. H. Kennon bought the home in September, 1914. While working in a cotton gin, he lost his right arm in a cotton press, but continued working in the cotton business for many years. Mr. Kennon ran unsuccessfully for Hood County Tax Assessor in 1898, but was successful when he ran in 1902. He held that office from 1902-1912. P. H. Kennon died in 1927, but his widow remained there until her death in 1951. Both Mr. and Mrs. Kennon are buried in Granbury Cemetery. Their two daughters, Nell and Lucy, sold the home in 1954 to the Tittle family. The Tittle family remained in the house until 1982 making only one major renovation during those thirty years, a downstairs bathroom. The home then sold to Mr. and Mrs. Wayne Steward, the current owners, in 1983. The Bowden-Kennon House was designated a Granbury Historical Landmark by the City of Granbury. This information was obtained from their website.

The Baker-Carmichael House was built in 1905 for Granbury Merchant and Banker, Jess Baker. This…read morehouse was later home to Granbury Physician, Dr. Archibald Carmichael. The original owner and builder of the house, Jess Baker, in 1875, opened a hardware store in Granbury with his brother. Jess Baker also partnered with Sam Smith in Baker and Smith Hardware and Baker and Smith Implement Company; he was also a partner in Baker-Rylee Hardware. Jess Baker also served as Vice-President of First National Bank and served on the Bank's first Board of Directors. Jess Baker also served several terms in the Texas House of Representatives beginning in 1906. Dr. Archibald Carmichael, one of Granbury's most prominent physicians, bought the house in 1925. This is a particularly superb and well kept example of High Style Queen Ann/Neoclassical Architecture. The home was built at a cost of approximately $18,000 with the head carpenter receiving $1.50 a day, and his helper receiving $1.00 a day. The Baker-Carmichael was one of the first homes in Granbury to have electricity, indoor plumbing and telephone service. The Carmichael family did not make many changes to the house over the years, with the exception of adding bathrooms and a more modernized kitchen. The Baker-Carmichael House is now owned by David Southern and his wife, Claudia. Mr. Southern is currently the Mayor of the City of Granbury. The Baker-Carmichael House was designated a Granbury Historical Landmark by the City of Granbury Historic Commission June 1, 1999. This information was obtained from their website.

This House was built in 1907 by R.B. Spencer Lumber Company. This is an excellent example of a High…read moreStyle House with Queen Ann stylistic influence. Jefferson David Brown began his career as a businessman in his Uncle's dry goods store and before too long, became a partner. J. D. Brown became sole proprietor of the business in 1881 and moved it to the Granbury Square. The first structure he built for the business was a two story building on the south side of the square; that structure is now the Granbury Opera House. The second building he erected to house his hardware store was on the west side of the Square and is now Brazos Moon Antiques. J. D. Brown also served as President and Director of the City National Bank in Granbury. The City National Bank was located on the northeast corner of the Square and is now a law office. Mr. Brown also served at least one term as Mayor of the City of Granbury. J. D. Brown and his wife, Georgia, had seven children and after his death in 1907, Georgia and the children lived in the home for many years. J. D. Brown contributed much to the Granbury area, not only architecturally, but with his pioneering and entrepreneurial spirit. The J. D. Brown House was designated a Granbury Historical Landmark by the City of Granbury Historic Commission June 1, 1999. This information was obtained from their website.