Fair Oaks Ranch
Why it's listed
Fair Oaks Ranch is a 10,352-acre cattle ranch in Goliad County, Texas, near Berclair, founded in 1859 by Richard M. and Louisa Lucas on an initial 142 acres. It began with sheep, then shifted to cattle, especially Herefords. The ranch grew to its present size between 1880 and 1905 and is organized around four building clusters: the first headquarters with a circa 1870s house, a second headquarters with a circa 1890 house, ranch hand housing, wash house, office and barns, a tenant house and barn complex, and a third headquarters with a 1954 ranch house. Cemeteries, mesquite-post fencing, stock ponds, caliche pits, windmills and ranch roads add to the landscape. It has been used for grazing rather than crops. Its boundaries and layout remain much as they were in 1905, and the Lucas family has operated it for six generations. Few modern intrusions exist, which gives the ranch an unusually high level of integrity.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the ranch is a remarkably intact rural historic landscape, with its boundaries, land use patterns and layout little changed since the early 1900s. It has been run by the same family for six generations and is known for its Hereford herd. Its buildings also embody distinctive characteristics of regional ranch architecture (Criterion C).
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 07000127, listed March 8, 2007. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 14509 US 59 S, Berclair |
|---|---|
| County | Goliad County |
| Listed | March 8, 2007 |
| Reference number | 07000127 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1859-1956 |
| Architectural style | Folk Victorian; Ranch Style; no style |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Agriculture, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The ranch is still a working family ranch. The first headquarters house is in fair condition and rented to hunters as a hunt camp. Modern oil and gas equipment and seasonal hunt camps are present. |
| Acreage | 10352 |
| Coordinates | 28.51169, -97.54211 (NPS GIS) |
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.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 07000127.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q109999884
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.