Old Gonzales College

In 1851, stones for the Gonzales College were hauled to the building site by ox carts from Peach Creek, some 10 miles east of Gonzales. The two-story structure, measuring 60 feet by 34 feet, was built by builder John Mooney at a cost of $7,250. In today's money, that would be approximately $1,048,600. Classes began in 1853 with 50 students. The first president was John Freeman Hillyer, and the President of the Board of Trustees was Thomas J. Pilgrim, a distinguished educational leader.

The original structure was designated as the Women's College. In 1855, a second building was constructed for men's college courses. When the Civil War began, the Male College was torn down, and materials were repurposed in the construction of Fort Waul, just north of Gonzales. As a result, the college became coeducational. If you're interested in seeing the remains of Fort Waul, you can look up the historical marker in this app after your Historic Homes Tour.

As early as 1857, Bachelor of Arts degrees were conferred upon female students, making this one of the earlier colleges in Texas to take this major step prior to the War Between the States. For the next 10 years, Gonzales College stood at the head of the state's few educational institutions. In 1867, the building was remodeled. In 1873, control of the Gonzales College was taken over by the Masonic Lodge and Odd Fellows Lodge. In 1891, it was purchased for $2,000 by W.M. Atkinson, a graduate of the college and a community leader. That would be approximately $92,200 in today's money.

He remodeled the structure using stones from his father's old manor house south of the city. The east wing addition is of stone from the Maurin Quarry on Peach Creek. The original characteristics were preserved, and an iron fence was built around the house. A cupola was added with a spiral staircase leading to a lookout tower but was later removed. The house has eight fireplaces with mantels made of Gonzales walnut. The floors are tongue-and-groove pine planking overlaid with oak. The Atkinsons retained the house until the 1940s. The house was purchased in 1962 and restored to reflect the period during which Atkinson owned it.