Granite for the State Capitol

In the 1880s, the arrival of the railroad helped develop western Williamson County and contributed to the construction of a new state capitol. When quarried limestone proved deficient for the new statehouse, contractors chose granite from Burnet County outcroppings. The Austin and Northwestern Railroad, which ran through this area and established Brueggerhoff (Cedar Park) and Leander, extended to the Granite Mountain quarry site in 1885. More than 4,000 flatcars passed through here in 1886-87, carrying the large blocks of pink granite to Austin. Three dozen blocks that tumbled of the tracks were left in the creekbed, since the state obtained its building stone free of charge. The Texas State Capitol was completed in 1888. (2008)

Granite for the State Capitol is a historical marker in Cedar Park, Williamson County, dedicated in 2008. It is one of 241 historical markers documented in Williamson County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 448 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 30.5042, -97.7848 near Cedar Park. The nearest cataloged historic site is Cedar Chopping in Central Texas (historical marker), about 1.4 miles away. Others within a short drive include Hill Top Baptist, Champion Cemetery, and Minnick.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5507014310. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.