Nearly five years in the making, the Plaza of Honor at Fort Croghan Grounds and Museum is complete, except for approximately 200 bricks awaiting names. A brick honoring a family member, business, church, or organization important to Burnet County costs $100, which goes to support the museum. Staff photo by Suzanne Freeman
The first 94 of 300 bricks for sale in the grounds of Fort Croghan and the museum’s place of honor at Burnet have been laid, naming individuals, families, businesses, churches or organizations that have been part of the county history.
Bricks, a bench, a tree and a plaque are all included in the newly completed project, which proved what can be accomplished when everyone works together, said Cheryl Henderson, chair of the place of honor committee. the Burnet County Historical Commission.
“The new plaque is a symbol of how it all came together in the first place,” she said. “It’s about working together. All that happened to make it a reality was to work together.
The Plaza of Honor is a brick patio engraved with the names of the original 40 settlers with room to add another 300 names of those who helped shape Burnet County’s past and future. It was dedicated on 4 December during a day of holiday activities which began with Christmas in the square and included Christmas at Old Fort Croghan.
The idea grew out of a committee that came to the Burnet County Historical Commission with three ideas on how to commemorate the late Carol Anne Goble, a strong advocate for preserving the area’s history. The commissioners decided to do all three: plant a tree, build a granite bench and lay out a square of cobblestones bearing the names of historical figures.
Three entities – the Burnet County Historical Commission, the Burnet County Court of Commissioners, and the Burnet Town Historical Council – each donated $2,000 to get the project started.
“We had a plaque commissioned for the plaza to recognize how these three entities working together helped initiate and bring this project to fruition,” Henderson said. “That has always been our theme. That’s how we get things done. »
Henderson promised the first three donors that the plaque would be publicly recognized at the dedication, which almost never happened.
“It was Thursday before the Saturday ceremony before the plate came in,” Henderson said. “Tommye and John Potts brought it to the fort on Friday, and their son, Bart Potts, dug the hole and put it in place just in time. Everything fits perfectly with everyone working together. There’s so much going on behind the scenes.
The square can accommodate at least 200 other names to be engraved on bricks.
To purchase a brick, visit the Fort Croghan website to download an order form or pick one up at the Burnet Chamber of Commerce, 101 N. Pierce St. Mail the completed form with a check to Burnet County Heritage Society, PO Box 74, Burnet, Texas 78611.
Henderson urged families, organizations, churches and businesses with a historical connection to Burnet County to consider buying a brick.
“For those who have commemorated a family member, to see them come up and touch the brick and take a picture of it, it’s very moving,” Henderson continued. ” It is very moving. It’s a tangible way to recognize those who have made a difference in Burnet County.
Henderson began working in the place of honor while her husband, TL Henderson, was still alive. He died in 2019 before it was completed.
“That’s why it means so much to me, to see it finished,” she said. “We worked on it together.”
The Fort Croghan Grounds and Museum is located at 703 Buchanan (Texas 29) in Burnet. Visit the website Where Facebook page for more information.
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