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CHAPPELL
HILL, TEXAS
Washington County,
Central Texas S
Hwy 290, FM 1155 and 2447
10 miles E of Brenham
98 miles E of Austin
12 miles W of Hempstead
63 miles NW of Houston
Population est. 310 (2000)
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Chappell
Hill Water Tower
TE photo |
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Left
- The former school from 1929
Right - The Hubert Masonic Lodge
TE photos |
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Suggested
slogans
"Why is our zip code on our water tower?" or
"For a town that gets so many things right,
why do people like to spell our name wrong?"
History in a Pecan Shell
The wife of local trader Jacob Haller is credited with founding
Chappel Hill on 100 acres she bought and donated as a townsite.
Her name was Mary Hargrove Haller and she named the town after her
grandfather, Robert Wooding Chappell.
The town became a commercial center for the local cotton plantations
and in 1847 they had a post office granted to them. A Masonic Lodge
was chartered in 1851 and the town incorporated in 1856.
The town was connected to the Washington County Railroad just before
the outbreak of the Civil War. During the war, Chappell Hill
organized The 21st Texas Lancers and had both a Confederate hospital
and Quartermaster's Depot in the town.
As it was in most of the South after the war, Chappell Hill's economy
was a disaster. On top of economic collapse, there was also an outbreak
of Yellow Fever in 1867 that caused more of the population
to leave.
Polish immigrants appeared in the early 1870s and rescued
the town from permanent ruin. More Poles made the trip after 1884
and by 1889 they had founded their own church - St. Stanislaus.
The population reached the highest point up to that point - over
800 people.
The years between 1880 and our involvement in World War One (1917)
showed a decline in population, but it had risen again by 1930 to1,000
people.
The 1929 school now serves as a historical museum
(interior photos prohibited).
The population
has declined from 600 people in the 1980s to just over 300 in 1990.
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Left
- An old store in town.
Right - Chappell Hill water tower
TE photos |
Chappell
Hill Events / Attractions
If
your trip to view wildflowers is in March or
April, make a special effort to attend their
annual Bluebonnet Festival presented
by the Chappell Hill Historical Society. There is, as they say, something
for everyone and everyone is in their place. Firemen cook the barbecue,
librarians sell books, and "folklife artisans" will be proving
that "Folklife imitates Folkart" or is it the other way
around?
For Information call: 1-800-225-3695 or 979-836-6033.
The Historical Society also hosts the famed Scarecrow Festival
every October.
Other events include the 4th of July Parade, and Christmas
in Chappell Hill in December. For information call the Chappell
Hill Chamber of Commerce at 979-277-1122.
With more than 25 homes and buildings listed in the National Register
of Historic Places, Chappell Hill offers many ante-bellum structures,
antique stores and craft shops.
Visit the Chappell Hill Museum, the Library, the old
Rock Store (with folk-art wall hangings), and Chappell Hill
Bank which has operated in its original location since 1907.
The
Chappell Hill Masonic Cemetery
A mandatory stop while in Chappell Hill is the Masonic Cemetery in
the NW corner of town (follow the signs).
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Chappell
Hill Tourist Information
Chappell Hill Chamber
of Commerce
P.O. Box 113 Chappell Hill, Texas 77426
Phone (979) 277-1122
http://www.chappellhilltx.com/
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