WASHINGTON COUNTY, Texas — Washington-on-the-Brazos is getting a major makeover.
The piece of Texas history is where delegates officially declared independence from Mexico in 1836.
The historic site, managed by the Texas Historical Commission, is located less than two hours from Houston.
“We like to say it’s where Texas became Texas,” said site manager Jonathan Failor.
We visited as bluebonnets bloomed on the property and amid an ambitious $51 million public/private renovation project.
"You know, 180 years ago, there was a town standing behind me, and we hope to recreate some of that,” said Failor as he stood near a replica of the assembly hall where the Texas Declaration of Independence was signed.
Renovations to the Star of the Republic Museum are already underway and will include more elaborate exhibits. As dirt is being turned over, hundreds of artifacts were discovered under just a few feet of soil.
"Visitors told us that seeing archaeology was important to them,” said Failor.
That area is where replicas of a congressional meeting space, carpenter’s shop, tavern, and other buildings will be constructed with one mission in mind.
"How do we create an immersive visitor experience for the 100,000 people who come here annually?” said Failor.
A more inclusive narrative is also part of the plan.
That means sharing more about Tejano delegates and enslaved men who ran a blacksmith business.
"There’ll be a more complete telling of the town itself,” said Failor.
It's a town mostly abandoned by the late 19th century only to be reborn as a touchstone to Texas’s past.