Following Stephen F. Austin to Texas, Martin Varner and several slaves settled on this land in 1824. In 1834, Varner sold the land to the Patton family, who brought a large number of slaves to the property and established it as a sugar plantation that operated continuously until the Civil War. Slaves made bricks by hand and constructed many buildings on this site, including the plantation house and slaves' quarters. The line of bricks that surrounds the large kettle is all that remains of the sugar mill, where slaves processed sugarcane to produce molasses by boiling it in kettles. The availability of brick materials was probably one reason why this site appealed to the original settlers, and income derived from the manufacture and sale of bricks may have supplemented the plantation's agricultural production.
Varner-Hogg Plantation State Historic Site, a Texas Historical Commission property, is open regularly for guided tours.
Location
- 1702 North 13th St.
- West Columbia, Texas
- 77486
Contact
- Phone: 979-345-4656
- Email Us
- Visit Website
Hours & Fees
Tuesday–Sunday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
Adults: $4, Youth (Ages 6-18) & Students w/ID: $3, Children (Ages 5 and under): Free
School groups: $3 per student (reservations required)
Map & Directions
Located two miles north of West Columbia on FM 2852. From Houston, take State Highway 288 south to State Highway 35. Turn south on State Highway 35 and travel 12 miles to West Columbia. Outside West Columbia, take FM 2852 to Park Road 51 (1702 North 13th St.).
Read more about Varner-Hogg Plantation in the Handbook of Texas Online.
