Oakdale Park
Why it's listed
Oakdale Park is a 14.56-acre campground and cottage park along the Paluxy River in Glen Rose, Texas. Henry J. Cox opened it on May 1, 1925, as an auto tourist camp, on land that once held a wagon camping ground around mineral wells. Its centerpiece is Oakdale Plunge, a 310,000-gallon concrete swimming pool filled with sulfur mineral water. Around the pool, an oval road leads to camp cottages and tent sites, and surviving buildings include the frame bathhouse and a casino where orchestras played for dances. Most buildings are one-story frame structures with Craftsman features such as exposed rafter tails and brackets. Limestone and concrete picnic tables and benches also remain from the 1920s. The park reflects the growth of automobile tourism in Glen Rose, where visitors came for mineral waters and new highways. It later added travel trailer sites in 1967 and bluegrass festivals in the 1970s. The western third of the park has lost its historic integrity.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · catalog entry. Generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29).
| Period of significance | 1924-1967 |
|---|---|
| Styles | Late 19th and 20th Century American Movements: Craftsman; No Style |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Entertainment/Recreation |
| Acreage | 14.6 |
| Boundary source | NPS cultural-resource GIS polygon |
| Full listing page | Oakdale Park (property record) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.