Fanthorp Inn State Historic Site is a historic hotel in Anderson, Texas. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department acquired the site by purchase in 1977 from a Fanthorp descendant. Ten years were spent researching and restoring the Inn to its 1850 look. The site was opened to the public on October 4, 1987."Fanthorp Inn State Historic Site," Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Retrieved Oct 31, 2008.
The clapboard-covered log house was built in 1834 by an English immigrant, Henry Fanthorp, as a home for his third wife, Rachel Kennard. He bought and built his house in 1834 along the road that crossed his land. The building was enlarged in about 1850 to accommodate its usage as a hotel and store."Anderson Historic District," Texas Historic Sites Atlas. Retrieved Oct 31, 2008.
Henry Fanthorp was appointed postmaster by the Provisional Texas Government in 1835. The building was the first post office in the region. Fanthorp Inn became a well-known stopping place for stagecoaches, travelers, and the community.
On July 3, 1845, Kenneth Lewis Anderson, vice-president of the Republic of Texas died from illness at the Inn while en route home from Washington-on-the-Brazos."Anderson, Kenneth Lewis," The Handbook of Texas Online. Retrieved Oct. 31, 2008.
On September 1, 2019, Fanthorp Inn State Historic Site was transferred from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to the Texas Historical Commission.
See also
Log house National Register of Historic Places listings in Grimes County, Texas Stagecoach Inn in Bell County, Texas Stagecoach Inn in Washington County, Texas
References
External links Fanthorp Inn State Historic Site website