The Washington Anderson House portable history display is located at the Chamber of Commerce offices at 900 Heritage Center Circle. Washington Anderson’s House was one of Round Rock’s first, completed in 1859. The display highlights how Anderson earned land grants for his service in the Texas Revolution and the role he played in establishing his business, Williamson County, the county’s first college, and the New Town of Round Rock. The Preservation Office has also created a booklet about the Washington Anderson House.

For more information about Washington Anderson’s life and home, see:

• Karen R. Thompson and Jane DiGesualdo,1985. Historical Round Rock Texas.
• City of Round Rock, 1994. The Historic Round Rock Collection https://www.roundrocktexas.gov/city-departments/planning-and-development-services/historic-preservation-2/historic-round-rock-collection/
• Washington Anderson, The Handbook of Texas Online https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/anderson-washington
• Linda Scarbrough, 1973. Land of Good Water: A Williamson County, Texas History.
• The Story of Texas Online, https://www.thestoryoftexas.com/discover/artifacts/the-surrender-of-santa-anna
• Categories of Land Grants, Texas General Land Office https://www.glo.texas.gov/history/archives/forms/files/categories-of-land-grants.pdf

Sources for images on the banner:

• Drawing of the Washington Anderson House from Minor & Major Mansions in Early Austin (1955) by August Watkins Harris.
• Portrait of Washington Anderson courtesy of The Williamson Museum in Georgetown, Texas.
• Portrait of Mary Ann Glascock Anderson from Round Rock, Texas: From Cowboys to Computers (2002), Karen R. Thompson.
• Portrait of Chloe Ann Anderson Taliaferro from Historical Round Rock Texas (1985), Karen R. Thompson & Jane H. DiGesualdo, pg. 95.
• Photo of Mary Ann and her great-granddaughter Mabel Taylor at their home on Brushy Creek from Historical Round Rock Texas (1985) by Karen R. Thompson and Jane H. DiGesualdo, pg. 95.
• Photo of William Henry Huddle’s The Surrender of Santa Anna from the Library of Congress
• Image of Washington Anderson with his great-grandchild from Historical Round Rock Texas (1985), Karen R. Thompson & Jane H. DiGesualdo, pg. 164.
• Photo of the house built for Chloe Ann (Wessels-Payne House) from City of Round Rock, Texas 2012, staff photo.
• Photos of the Washington Anderson House taken in 1936 as part of the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS). Images from the Library of Congress except for the image of the slaves’ residence provided by The Williamson Museum in Georgetown, Texas.
• Detail of 1880 Original Texas Land Survey map from the Texas General Land Office, overlaid on a 2023 basemap by Esri.
• Photo of Washington Anderson House from City of Round Rock, Texas 2005.
• 1876 Round Rock Original Plat map from the Williamson County Clerk’s Office.

The Planning and Development Services Department is creating a series of portable displays about themes in Round Rock history.