The 1868 Fulton-Bruhl House

11/21/2025

09/29/2025

This is so great I can hardly stand it. It's a house that was built by Irish immigrants out of oyster shells in 1850. The house was in Port O'Connor. John Vachon took this photo of the house in 1943, 93 years after it was built. The whole process of making houses out of oyster shells is fascinating.

Here’s how it worked: people collected heaps of oyster shells, often from old middens (ancient shell piles left behind by Native peoples or settlers). The shells were burned in a kiln to create lime. When oyster shells are heated, the calcium carbonate in them turns into quicklime. That quicklime was then mixed with water, sand, and more whole oyster shells. The result was a kind of primitive concrete—strong, durable, and resistant to moisture. Builders poured this mixture into wooden forms, much like modern concrete, and let it harden.

When the forms were removed, the walls had a distinctive speckled look, with oyster shells showing throughout. Over time, the surface could be plastered or whitewashed, but sometimes the shell-studded texture was left exposed. The material was especially common in coastal areas of Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas, but it was also used in Texas and Louisiana where oyster shells were plentiful.

So this house isn't literally just stacked oyster shells like bricks—it was oyster shells transformed into a concrete-like substance that could last for centuries. In fact, some oyster shell structures from the 1700s are still standing today. And some of the oyster shell structures in Texas, built in the 1800s, still stand.

Aren't I just a fountain of knowledge at 2:00 a.m.?

02/07/2025

Thanks to Anne Bergstrom Hunt for the fabulous Railroad Crossing sign she donated for our Rockport Railroad Depot Museum! Anne and her husband Jeff are ardent preservationists, having restored two historic homes in the Rockport Cultural Arts District - RCAD — The 1868 Fulton-Bruhl House and the 1868 R.H. Wood House, which is available as a short-term rental. We love having the Hunts in our neighborhood!

Learn more about the houses:
https://www.theachistorycenter.com/history-mystery-1/what-are-the-oldest-homes-in-rockport%3F

10/31/2024

George Ware Fulton, Sr. was a pivotal figure in the development of coastal Texas. Born in Philadelphia in 1810, he arrived in Texas during the Revolution and later married Harriet Smith, daughter of a prominent Texan.

Fulton was an accomplished engineer, inventor, and ranching entrepreneur who founded the Coleman-Fulton Pasture Company. He moved to the Live Oak Peninsula in 1867 and played a key role in developing Rockport.

His most notable legacy is the Fulton Mansion, a three-story Second Empire-style residence built between 1874 and 1877. This architectural landmark featured advanced amenities, including indoor plumbing and central heating.

Fulton was also instrumental in bringing the San Antonio & Aransas Pass Railroad to Rockport in 1884, which spurred significant growth in the area. He passed away on October 31, 1893. Today, the Fulton Mansion State Historic Site is recognized as a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places, preserving his contributions to the Texas Gulf Coast.

Plan a visit to Fulton’s masterpiece mansion today: visitfultonmansion.com

📸: Fulton with his great-granddaughter, Gillette

07/05/2022

Happy 4th of July!!

11/06/2021

Fulton Mansion was built over a period of three years, 1874–1877, and it showcased some of the latest advances in household technology.

George and Harriet Fulton were wealthy from cattle ranching, meat packing, and shipping, which allowed them to build their luxurious Second Empire-style home.

The mansion included indoor plumbing, supplied via rainwater collection, in the sinks and toilets; gas lighting throughout the home; and central heating from a basement furnace that kept all four stories warm. The Fultons were some of the first people on the South Texas coast to have these innovations.

George Fulton died on October 31, 1893. Harriet soon left the mansion to live with her daughter, after which the building served as a hotel, restaurant, and RV park attraction before it came into state ownership. The Texas Parks & Wildlife Department operated the mansion from 1976 until 2008, when it was transferred to the THC.

Plan your visit to Fulton Mansion State Historic Site in Rockport: https://www.thc.texas.gov/historic-sites/fulton-mansion-state-historic-site

10/30/2021

Happy Halloween from our house to yours!

10/29/2021

Grandpa’s house looking mighty spooky! 👻 🎃

01/19/2021

🤘🔥

01/15/2021

Our little daughter Emma Fulton...

The cemetery has served the citizens of Rockport and Fulton for over a century. The oldest marked grave is that of Emma Fulton (d. 1876), granddaughter of George Ware Fulton, who was instrumental in the development of the area and was interred in the cemetery in 1893. A large number of burials took place here in 1918, the year of a devastating influenza epidemic. The cemetery contains the graves of veterans of the Texas Revolution, Civil War, World War I, World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. The Rockport Cemetery Association maintains the historic graveyard. If you have never visited in the spring, it’s a must to see all the wildflowers. The cemetery is one of the prettiest places in Rockport when the flowers are in bloom.

09/04/2020

Pam Stranahan tells us about the Fulton-Bruhl House

09/04/2020