BIRTH OF A RAILROAD TOWN

Settled in 1822 by members of Stephen F. Austin’s colony, Rosenberg was a small, nameless shipping point along the Brazos River. Decades later, when nearby Richmond refused right-of-way to the Gulf, Colorado & Santa Fe Railway, a new community was born. The railroad constructed a line three miles west of Richmond, and in 1880 built a station where the GC&SF crossed the Galveston, Harrisburg & San Antonio Railroad. A year later, an Italian count, Joseph Telfene, set up offices in the community to establish the New York, Texas & Mexican Railway. The town was platted in 1883 and named for Henry von Rosenberg, a former president of the GC&SF Railway. A Union Depot was constructed in 1889. Railroads, oil, sulphur and highway construction contributed to Rosenberg’s growth. Located 35 miles southwest of Houston, the town was dubbed the “Hub of the Gulf Coast.”

The Rosenberg Railroad Museum, modeled after the original depot, preserves the past with artifacts, maps, photographs and memorabilia. Special exhibits include a railroad crossing control tower; a large HO model train layout; an 1879 three-bedroom business car with a dining room, parlor/office and two observation decks; and a caboose. Antiques stores, specialty shops, a wine bar, restaurants and a theater enliven Rosneberg’s downtown historic district. Restored buildings downtown include the 1910 Vogelsang Building, a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark; Another Time Soda Fountain, winner of a 2005 Texas Downtown Association award for Best Commercial Interior restoration; and the 1881 former post office. In September, Rosenberg hosts the annual Fort Bend County Fair and Rodeo.

Rosenberg boasts a state cultural district designated by the Texas Commission on the Arts. Explore all they have to offer on your next visit!