The official historical marker for Chappell Hill, a historic jewel in the heart of Texas' Gulf plains. Placed in 1964 at the NE corner of Hwy 290 and the road into town, the often-overlooked marker gives a very brief description of this town but unfortunately does not truly convey the historic jewels found in this quaint little community of 600 residents: this place boasts 11 structures listed in the National Registry of Historical Places, a nationally-recognized Historic District with 26 contributing buildings, and many more historical treasures just awaiting to be recognized by state and national historical societies in the coming years.
A brief history of Chappell Hill, per
Wikipedia:
"The town was established in 1847 by a Mary Hargrove Haller who founded the town on 100 acres (0.40 km2) of land she bought. She then named the town after her grandfather Robert Wooding Chappell. The area around the town was settled by planters from the Deep South and thanks to the fertile soil of the Brazos river valley, cotton became the area's main crop.
Jacob and Mary Haller also built the Stagecoach Inn of Chappell Hill in 1850, which they operated until 1859 and continued under new ownership until 1871. Because the Inn was about halfway between Houston and Austin, it was a frequent stopping place for travelers along two major stagecoach lines.
The town became an important part of the Republic of Texas and later the State of Texas before the Civil War. The population reached a maximum of about 3,000 people; at the time, San Antonio and Galveston were the largest towns at around 8,000 people. A sawmill, a railroad line, five churches, and a Masonic Lodge were built in the area. Two colleges, Soule University for men and Chappell Hill Female College for women, were founded in 1856.
The men of Chappell Hill formed part of the First Texas Lancers cavalry regiment during the Civil War and fought in Missouri, Louisiana, and Arkansas. Men from Chappell Hill served in numerous renowned Confederate units, including The Texas Brigade and Terry's Texas Rangers, and saw action in most of the major engagements of the Civil War. In addition, the Soule University building was used as a field hospital. The men of Chappell Hill saw action in a number of renowned Confederate units, including The Texas Brigade and Terry's Texas Rangers.
A yellow fever epidemic, the result of the town's proximity to the Brazos River, decimated the town in 1867. Many men who survived combat in the war lost their lives just two years after the war's end. The town never recovered and faded into obscurity. Polish immigrants, mostly from the German partition, began to appear in the 1870s and the area was re-settled, though it did not reach the status of before. In 1889, Father Grabinger from Brenham's St. Mary's established St. Stanislaus Roman Catholic Church. Denizens of Polish ancestry can still be found in the area surrounding the church and throughout Washington and Austin counties.
In 1933, the Farmers Bank of Chappell Hill refused to close its doors when so ordered by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt during a March 6 to March 10 banking freeze. The owner of the bank took out an ad in a Boston newspaper protesting the order.
Chappell Hill today has a tourist economy, attracting visitors with restored homes, Bluebonnet Festival, Scarecrow Festival and a museum. Main Street has been designated as a National Register Historic District by the National Register of Historic Places. Chappell Hill remains one of the best historically preserved towns in Texas."