Antlers Hotel (Kingsland, Texas)
Encyclopedia
The Antlers Hotel is a hotel and resort built in 1901 by the Austin and Northwestern Railroad
on the Colorado River
in Kingsland
in Llano County
in Central Texas
. After a brief heyday, The Antlers closed in 1923 and fell into disrepair. It was eventually resurrected by a couple from Austin
, Texas, and reopened in 1996.
The Victorian
structure is the centerpiece of what has become an historic railway district. Other railroad buildings have been added, among them a depot and three brightly painted caboose
s setting on actual rails which have also been modified to serve as guest accommodations. The transformation continues whenever additional authenitc old railroad structures are occasionally found, renovated and added to the resort. In 2002, The Antlers was designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark
, Marker No. 15150.
constructed a bridge across the Colorado River and a depot in Kingsland south of the point where the Colorado River meets the Llano River
. The Antlers Hotel was begun in 1900 and opened on May 1, 1901. Framed newspapers hanging around the hotel show events on that date including the cross-country trip by U.S. President William McKinley
, who toured Austin by train
on May 3, 1901. He was assassinated
in Buffalo, New York
, a few months later on September 5.
, Colorado
, a new and fashionable railroad resort that opened a few years earlier. The Antlers is also named because Llano County was and remains a deer hunting
area.
The hotel had all the modern conveniences of the day, including gas lights
and a telephone in the lobby. The owners thought that electricity was a passing fad. All the camps had telephones so that guests could call in orders to the hotel kitchen. The hotel had eleven rooms with expansion capability for additional guests by placing hammocks on the wide porches. The hotel was in the center of a campground known as Campa Pajama that stretched down to Crescent Lake, formed by a 1,000 foot lock across the Colorado River. The lock was later destroyed in a flood. The since-renamed Lake LBJ was created in 1951 with the construction of the Wirtz Dam
.
that was used by hotel staff and train crews. Just north of the bunkhouse is a small three-room cabin that was typical of several cabins spaced around the property. The architectural details of the hotel, bunkhouse, and cabin indicate that all were built at the same time. Across the road from the bunkhouse is the house of the Section Master who presided over a section of the railroad. This house was bought from the Southern Pacific Railroad
in the 1940s. The Kingsland Depot was directly in front of the hotel between the main line and the sidetrack
that still exist. In the field in front of the hotel, which is now the parking lot of the Junction House restaurant, was a large wooden pavilion used for dances and community gatherings.
and then the Southern Pacific Railroad
.
The hotel was a fashionable resort and on weekends the railroad ran an excursion train
out from Austin for a $1.50 round trip fare.
The hotel also served traveling salesmen or "drummers"
and cattlemen. The hotel operated successfully until the 1920s when automobile travel eroded the reliance on train excursions
. The novelty of the lake by the rails faded as a vacation destination and the hotel closed in 1923.
and the town fell into decline. The property was purchased in 1923 by the Barrow family of Austin, who used it as a private family retreat for seventy years until 1993, at which time the hotel itself had fallen into disrepair.
The hotel was purchased in 1993 by an Austin couple who worked for more than two years in its restoration. It reopened on September 1, 1996, with Lori and Anthony Mayfield, the master carpenter on the restoration, as the managers. In addition to the restored hotel, there are several renovated cabins, a depot, and three colored cabooses (formerly of the Norfolk and Western Railroad) which are also used as guest accommodations. There is also a new country store
and conference center, and other turn-of-the-century buildings. The hotel has become a center of restoration and growth for the area.Though the hotel has been modernized, the original pot-bellied stove remains in the dining room. The ceilings are twelve feet high, and there is a grand staircase which adds to the historic nature of the structure. Every room has a king-sized bed, and central air conditioning and heating. The Antlers is located on fifteen acres of land.
(now the "Junction House" restaurant) is a Victorian
house now located on the grounds of the Antlers Hotel and was used in the filming of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
during 1973, when it was still in its original location. The house then sat vacant and fell into disrepair. In 1993 it was moved from the La Frontera
development in Williamson County
by the owners of the hotel. Once on site it was extensively renovated and converted into a restaurant.
Austin and Northwestern Railroad
The Austin and Northwestern Railroad began construction on a rail line west of Austin, Texas, USA, toward Llano on April 20, 1881. The railroad was originally built as a narrow gauge line with plans to connect to the Texas and Pacific Railway at Abilene...
on the Colorado River
Colorado River (Texas)
The Colorado River is a river that runs through the U.S. state of Texas; it should not be confused with the much longer Colorado River which flows from Colorado into the Gulf of California....
in Kingsland
Kingsland, Texas
Kingsland is a census-designated place in Llano County, Texas, United States. The population was 4,584 at the 2000 census. Texas Ranch to Market Road 1431 runs through the community.-Geography:...
in Llano County
Llano County, Texas
Llano County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2010, its population was 19, 301. Its county seat is Llano, and the county is named for the Llano River....
in Central Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. After a brief heyday, The Antlers closed in 1923 and fell into disrepair. It was eventually resurrected by a couple from Austin
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
, Texas, and reopened in 1996.
The Victorian
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
structure is the centerpiece of what has become an historic railway district. Other railroad buildings have been added, among them a depot and three brightly painted caboose
Caboose
A caboose is a manned North American rail transport vehicle coupled at the end of a freight train. Although cabooses were once used on nearly every freight train, their use has declined and they are seldom seen on trains, except on locals and smaller railroads.-Function:The caboose provided the...
s setting on actual rails which have also been modified to serve as guest accommodations. The transformation continues whenever additional authenitc old railroad structures are occasionally found, renovated and added to the resort. In 2002, The Antlers was designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark is a designation awarded by the Texas Historical Commission for historically and architecturally significant properties in the state of Texas....
, Marker No. 15150.
History of Kingsland and construction of the hotel
In 1892, the Austin and Northwestern RailroadAustin and Northwestern Railroad
The Austin and Northwestern Railroad began construction on a rail line west of Austin, Texas, USA, toward Llano on April 20, 1881. The railroad was originally built as a narrow gauge line with plans to connect to the Texas and Pacific Railway at Abilene...
constructed a bridge across the Colorado River and a depot in Kingsland south of the point where the Colorado River meets the Llano River
Llano River
The Llano River is a tributary of the Colorado River, approximately 105 mi long, in central Texas in the United States. It drains part of the Edwards Plateau in Texas Hill Country northwest of Austin....
. The Antlers Hotel was begun in 1900 and opened on May 1, 1901. Framed newspapers hanging around the hotel show events on that date including the cross-country trip by U.S. President William McKinley
William McKinley
William McKinley, Jr. was the 25th President of the United States . He is best known for winning fiercely fought elections, while supporting the gold standard and high tariffs; he succeeded in forging a Republican coalition that for the most part dominated national politics until the 1930s...
, who toured Austin by train
Train
A train is a connected series of vehicles for rail transport that move along a track to transport cargo or passengers from one place to another place. The track usually consists of two rails, but might also be a monorail or maglev guideway.Propulsion for the train is provided by a separate...
on May 3, 1901. He was assassinated
Assassination
To carry out an assassination is "to murder by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons." Alternatively, assassination may be defined as "the act of deliberately killing someone, especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons."An assassination may be...
in Buffalo, New York
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
, a few months later on September 5.
The Antlers Hotel
The Antlers Hotel was named in part for the Antlers Hotel in Colorado SpringsColorado Springs, Colorado
Colorado Springs is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and most populous city of El Paso County, Colorado, United States. Colorado Springs is located in South-Central Colorado, in the southern portion of the state. It is situated on Fountain Creek and is located south of the Colorado...
, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, a new and fashionable railroad resort that opened a few years earlier. The Antlers is also named because Llano County was and remains a deer hunting
Deer hunting
Deer hunting is survival hunting or sport hunting, harvesting deer, dating back to tens of thousands of years ago. Which occurred though out Europe Asia and North America There are numerous types of deer throughout the world that are hunted.- New Zealand :...
area.
The hotel had all the modern conveniences of the day, including gas lights
Gas lighting
Gas lighting is production of artificial light from combustion of a gaseous fuel, including hydrogen, methane, carbon monoxide, propane, butane, acetylene, ethylene, or natural gas. Before electricity became sufficiently widespread and economical to allow for general public use, gas was the most...
and a telephone in the lobby. The owners thought that electricity was a passing fad. All the camps had telephones so that guests could call in orders to the hotel kitchen. The hotel had eleven rooms with expansion capability for additional guests by placing hammocks on the wide porches. The hotel was in the center of a campground known as Campa Pajama that stretched down to Crescent Lake, formed by a 1,000 foot lock across the Colorado River. The lock was later destroyed in a flood. The since-renamed Lake LBJ was created in 1951 with the construction of the Wirtz Dam
Wirtz Dam
Wirtz Dam was constructed from 1949 to 1950 in tandem with Max Starcke Dam to provide hydroelectric power and to form Lake LBJ, one of the Texas Highland Lakes. Originally called Granite Shoals Dam, it was renamed in 1951, in honor of Alvin J. Wirtz, who had been instrumental in the formation of...
.
Antlers Historic Railroad District
The area around the hotel has been designated as an historic railroad district. Many of the building relate to the rail lines that still exist in front of the hotel. To the west of the hotel is a bunkhouseBunkhouse
A bunkhouse is a hostel or barracks-like building that historically was used to house working cowboys on ranches in North America. As most cowboys were young single men, the standard bunkhouse was a large open room with narrow beds or cots for each individual and little privacy...
that was used by hotel staff and train crews. Just north of the bunkhouse is a small three-room cabin that was typical of several cabins spaced around the property. The architectural details of the hotel, bunkhouse, and cabin indicate that all were built at the same time. Across the road from the bunkhouse is the house of the Section Master who presided over a section of the railroad. This house was bought from the Southern Pacific Railroad
Southern Pacific Railroad
The Southern Pacific Transportation Company , earlier Southern Pacific Railroad and Southern Pacific Company, and usually simply called the Southern Pacific or Espee, was an American railroad....
in the 1940s. The Kingsland Depot was directly in front of the hotel between the main line and the sidetrack
Sidetrack
A sidetrack is a railroad track other than siding that is auxiliary to the main track. The word is also used as a verb to refer to the movement of trains and railcars from the main track to a siding, and in common parlance to refer to giving in to distractions apart from a main subject. Sidetracks...
that still exist. In the field in front of the hotel, which is now the parking lot of the Junction House restaurant, was a large wooden pavilion used for dances and community gatherings.
Early 1900s history
1900 and 1901 were a time of consolidations in the railroad industry. The Austin and Northwestern Railroad had begun construction of the hotel and by the time it opened in 1901, the railroad and its hotel had been acquired by the Houston and Texas Central Railroad. The cast iron pot-belly stove in the dining room carries the H&TCR logo for the Houston and Texas Central Railroad, which was itself acquired by the Texas and New Orleans RailroadTexas and New Orleans Railroad
The Texas and New Orleans Railroad is a former railroad in Texas and Louisiana. At one point the company was the largest railroad in Texas, with of trackage in 1934, but by 1961 there were only remaining when it was merged with parent company Southern Pacific....
and then the Southern Pacific Railroad
Southern Pacific Railroad
The Southern Pacific Transportation Company , earlier Southern Pacific Railroad and Southern Pacific Company, and usually simply called the Southern Pacific or Espee, was an American railroad....
.
The hotel was a fashionable resort and on weekends the railroad ran an excursion train
Excursion train
An excursion train is a chartered train run for a special event or purpose.Examples of excursion trains:* A train to a major sporting event* A train run for railfans or tourism...
out from Austin for a $1.50 round trip fare.
The hotel also served traveling salesmen or "drummers"
and cattlemen. The hotel operated successfully until the 1920s when automobile travel eroded the reliance on train excursions
Excursion train
An excursion train is a chartered train run for a special event or purpose.Examples of excursion trains:* A train to a major sporting event* A train run for railfans or tourism...
. The novelty of the lake by the rails faded as a vacation destination and the hotel closed in 1923.
Restoration
A fire destroyed much of Kingsland in 1922,and the town fell into decline. The property was purchased in 1923 by the Barrow family of Austin, who used it as a private family retreat for seventy years until 1993, at which time the hotel itself had fallen into disrepair.
The hotel was purchased in 1993 by an Austin couple who worked for more than two years in its restoration. It reopened on September 1, 1996, with Lori and Anthony Mayfield, the master carpenter on the restoration, as the managers. In addition to the restored hotel, there are several renovated cabins, a depot, and three colored cabooses (formerly of the Norfolk and Western Railroad) which are also used as guest accommodations. There is also a new country store
Country store
Country store may refer to:* A general store in a rural setting such as a village* Country Store , a muesli-based breakfast cereal...
and conference center, and other turn-of-the-century buildings. The hotel has become a center of restoration and growth for the area.Though the hotel has been modernized, the original pot-bellied stove remains in the dining room. The ceilings are twelve feet high, and there is a grand staircase which adds to the historic nature of the structure. Every room has a king-sized bed, and central air conditioning and heating. The Antlers is located on fifteen acres of land.
The former "Texas Chainsaw" House
The Texas Chainsaw HouseTexas Chainsaw House
The Texas Chainsaw House is located in Kingsland, Texas on the grounds of the Antlers Hotel & Historic Railroad District. This 1900's Victorian house was featured prominently in the movie The Texas Chainsaw Massacre before it was moved to this location from Williamson County in the 1990s...
(now the "Junction House" restaurant) is a Victorian
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
house now located on the grounds of the Antlers Hotel and was used in the filming of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre may refer to:* The Texas Chainsaw Massacre , a horror film franchise** The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, 1974 film** The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, 1986 film...
during 1973, when it was still in its original location. The house then sat vacant and fell into disrepair. In 1993 it was moved from the La Frontera
La Frontera (Round Rock, Texas)
La Frontera is Round Rock's largest master-planned, multi-use commercial business-retail-housing center and is located at the northeast corner of SH 45 Toll Road and Interstate 35 in Round Rock, Texas within Williamson County, Texas. La Frontera is also located immediately across Interstate 35...
development in Williamson County
Williamson County, Texas
Williamson County is a county located on both the Edwards Plateau to the west, consisting of rocky terrain and hills, and Blackland Prairies in the east consising of rich, fertile farming land, The two areas are roughly bisected by Interstate 35...
by the owners of the hotel. Once on site it was extensively renovated and converted into a restaurant.