Fort McKavett Historic District
Why it's listed
Fort McKavett is a former frontier army post on a limestone promontory above the San Saba River in Menard County, Texas. Founded in 1852 as Camp San Saba, it protected settlers from raids and guarded the Upper Road to California. Soldiers built its stone buildings during two periods of occupation, 1852-1859 and 1868-1883. After the Civil War, the fort was rebuilt from 1869 by men of the 41st Infantry and the 9th Cavalry, Black regiments including the Buffalo soldiers, under Ranald MacKenzie. Troops from the post helped remove Indians from the southern plains and took part in the Victorio War of 1878-81. When the army left in 1883, the land returned to private owners, and the fort buildings became the heart of today's town. The hospital compound and schoolhouse are well preserved, several barracks and other structures survive as roofed buildings or ruins, and many buildings remain in use as homes.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents the post as a link in the chain of forts that protected frontier settlers and the Upper Road to California. After the Civil War, Black troops of the 41st Infantry and 9th Cavalry rebuilt it, and soldiers based there helped remove Plains Indians and fought in the Victorio War. It is also unusual because its buildings form the core of the present-day town.
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 71000955, listed July 14, 1971. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | S bank of the San Saba River, Fort McKavett |
|---|---|
| County | Menard County |
| Listed | July 14, 1971 |
| Reference number | 71000955 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1852-1859, 1868-1883 |
| Architect / builder | Built by the soldiers stationed at the post; the rebuilding from 1869 was done by men of the 41st Infantry and 9th Cavalry under Ranald MacKenzie. |
| Areas of significance | Military |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition is mixed: maintained buildings are in good condition, while neglected ones are ruins. Many fort buildings are still lived in, and some are state-owned. |
| Acreage | 140 |
| Coordinates | 30.82878, -100.10786 (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 71000955.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5471634
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.