Heritage Backro

One of the most horrible, uncomfortable buildings that I can imagine having to live in, is in Fredericksburg, Texas. 

I’m sure this is a big surprise, as most people love the town, known for its history, fun shopping, and amazing food. But as you blaze down the highway directly into town, you are missing another impactful piece of history for the area – Fort Martin Scott. 

Fort Martin Scott, named after a Major who was killed during the Mexican-American war in 1847, is one of the earliest forts in Texas. It was established in 1848 and only ran under the U.S. Army until 1853. Since then, it has been used for other purposes such as a camp for the Texas Rangers, and then later became a farm. Finally, in 1949, the City of Fredericksburg bought the property. In June of 2024, the City entered into an agreement with the Texas Historical Commission (maybe this also means the Fort will be on an upcoming collectible Christmas ornament.) 

On the beautiful, clear, sunny day we were there, you could imagine it was the perfect spot to settle, and we understood why the fort was built there.

There are nice buildings that look like they would have been quite comfortable. The “dog-trot” style house that was Officers Row may have been rustic but was nice for the time. The Visitor Center is also designed in the dog-trot style modeled after the Barracks, with modern restrooms at one end of the building.

Many buildings are no longer there but have signs with pictures depicting what they were like, such as the laundry, the bakery, and the hospital.

So, what is the horrible building? The Guardhouse. Now, the front part of it is nice. The Braeutigam family who bought the property and used it as a farm until they sold it to the city, originally moved into the guardhouse and remodeled it for their family. So of course, they upgraded it nicely.

But then you head on into the jail area on the side of the building. We’ve seen many old jails on our travels. They may have looked hard and cold, no decent beds – but this one? It is only a couple of feet wide, barely wider than the door into it. There wouldn’t even have been room for a single bed. It would have been uncomfortable, impossible to sleep, hard to move around much, and just plain horrible. Discipline was harsh in those days, and the sign out front talks about some of the terrible punishments the men were put through.

So, while a site may look ideal based on the location, trees and grass, sun, shade, and water – it can also hide the much harsher realities of life in the 1800s for the men and families stationed there at the time. 

Fort Martin Scott is located at 209 E Main Street.

The grounds are open 8am – 8pm daily, with the buildings open from 9am-5pm Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. As of this date, it is free to get into, but the website says, “Free until Spring of 2025” so it is possible they will start charging for entrance.

There is a path around the site that is often just dirt but a wheelchair or walker should do OK on most. Not all buildings are accessible.