Marker Inscription
Under a charter issued in 1845 by the Republic of Texas, Baylor University was established on this site and operated here until its removal to Waco and Belton in 1886. Afterward the site was bought by John Thomas Hairston (1835-1918), a church leader in Independence for over 40 years. Passed to his son, the land was returned in 1933 to Baylor by Dr. Thomas Coke Hairston (1875-1954), a grandson of Albert Gallitan Haynes, an original trustee of Baylor University who served on the board for 25 years. In 1965 the park became part of Texas Baptist Historical Center.
About this site
Baylor Park is a historical marker in Independence, Washington County, dedicated in 1973. It is one of 156 historical markers documented in Washington County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 368 historic sites cataloged across the county.
The site sits at 30.3192, -96.3533 near Independence. The nearest cataloged historic site is Davis Family (historical marker), about under a tenth of a mile away. Others within a short drive include Clark, Horace G., Coles, John Prince, and Baylor University.
This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5477008298. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.
