The Pound Farmstead, also known as the Dr. Pound Pioneer Farmstead, is a historic farm located in
Hays County, Texas United States. The original farm was founded by Doctor Joseph McKegg Pound and his wife Sarah in 1854 in an unsettled area of Central Texas, now located in the City of
Dripping Springs. The farmstead is currently a
museum
A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance. Many public museums make these ...
about the life and times of Dr. Pound, his family and descendants. The property was added to the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
on July 28, 1995.
Pound first came to Texas 1847 to fight in the
Mexican–American War
The Mexican–American War, also known in the United States as the Mexican War and in Mexico as the (''United States intervention in Mexico''), was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848. It followed the 1 ...
. He returned to
Kentucky
Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...
to pursue his medical education. In 1853, he returned to Texas with his wife, Sarah, along with two other families, John Lee and Malvina Wallace and daughter, Carrie; and John Lauter and Indiana "Nannie" Moss and son, Joseph. Dr. Pound first bought acreage near
Henly; however, by December 1854, he sold his holdings there and purchased the land in what would become Dripping Springs. It is believed the spot for the farm was chosen because it was on the road connecting
Austin
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city ...
to
Fort Martin Scott
Fort Martin Scott is a restored United States Army outpost near Fredericksburg in the Texas Hill Country, United States, that was active from December 5, 1848, until April, 1853. It was part of a line of frontier forts established to protect trav ...
in
Fredericksburg.
The original Pound Home, the oldest existing building in Dripping Springs, was built as a
"dog-trot" style
log cabin
A log cabin is a small log house, especially a less finished or less architecturally sophisticated structure. Log cabins have an ancient history in Europe, and in America are often associated with first generation home building by settlers.
Eur ...
, but was expanded to make room for Dr. Pound's medical practice. Dr. Pound was the earliest doctor in Hays County. The Pound house served as a medical office and hospital, church, schoolhouse, post office and social gathering place for the fledgling community of Dripping Springs. Dr. Pound also insisted on treating the local
Indians
Indian or Indians may refer to:
Peoples South Asia
* Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor
** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country
* South Asia ...
with respect, and due to this was never raided.
The Pounds had nine children. Four generations of the family occupied the farmstead over a period of 130 years, until 1983. The property was donated to the City of Dripping Springs in 1987. In 1990, restorations on the house began. The Dr. Joseph M. and Sarah Pound Historical Museum opened in May 2003 and is part of Founder's Park.
See also
*
References
External links
Historic house museums in Texas
Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Texas
Museums in Hays County, Texas
Houses in Hays County, Texas
National Register of Historic Places in Hays County, Texas
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