Round Mountain Stage-Coach Inn and Stable
Why it's listed
Built of locally quarried limestone with cypress woodwork milled at nearby Cypress Mill, this two-story L-shaped inn and its companion stone livery stable sit beside Cypress Creek in Round Mountain, Blanco County. Widowed Elitha Martin built the inn in 1874 and ran it with her son David, along with a general store and post office. The complex was an overnight stop on the Austin to Llano stagecoach line and served cowboys, cotton haulers and other travelers, including Governor James Hogg. The room above the stable hosted votes, dances, and lodge and church meetings; the Frontier Lodge of the I.O.O.F. added that second story in 1882. The store is gone, and the inn lost its double gallery and original kitchen, but plastered and scored walls, cypress stairs and the bracketed stable eaves survive. The inn stood empty for nearly thirty years before restoration began in the 1970s, while the stable still needed repointing and a new roof.
Significance in brief: The inn served as the hub of the Round Mountain community and as an overnight stop on the Austin to Llano stagecoach line. It also housed a store and post office run by the Martin family, and the room above the stable was a community gathering place. The buildings are described as exceptionally fine examples of period architecture with Georgian influence and refinements unusual in rural Texas.
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) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 78002896, listed March 31, 1978. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | SR 962 off U.S. 281, Round Mountain |
|---|---|
| County | Blanco County |
| Listed | March 31, 1978 |
| Reference number | 78002896 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1874-1882 |
| Architect / builder | Elitha Smith Martin |
| Architectural style | Georgian influence |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Agriculture, Transportation, Politics/Government, Architecture, Communications, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Inn had been uninhabited for almost thirty years before a 1971 purchase; restoration under way in 1977, and the stable was extensively decayed. Intended as the owners' permanent home. |
| Acreage | 2.7 |
| Coordinates | 30.42823, -98.33991 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 78002896.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110000426
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.