National Register of Historic Places

Rancho Estelle

Big Bend National Park, Brewster County, Texas
Listed
September 2, 1974
Type
District
Period
Colonial
Ref No.
74000280

About this property

Rancho Estelle was the home of James Sublett, one of the first large-scale farmers in the Rio Grande valley of Texas, within what is now Big Bend National Park. Prior to founding the ranch, Sublett and his partner, Clyde Buttrill, farmed the bottomlands along the river in the area of what is now known as Castolon or La Harmonia, downstream from the later ranch. After the partnership with Buttrill broke up, Sublett bought four sections of land, initially calling it Grand Canyon Farms, and later Rancho Estelle. Most of the existing structures are in ruins. The chief structures include the Sublett Farm House, a one-story adobe house with a cane and viga roof and a porch at the front. The house consists only of two rooms separated by a hall. Other structures include a small house for farm workers, similar to the Sublett house, a single-room adobe shed and a stone house for farm workers, with two apartments and a day room. The most substantial structure is the Dorgan Residence, a 1,200-square-foot (110 m2) adobe and stone house of one story for Sublett's son-in-law. The interior features a large living room and three smaller rooms. The fireplace supports the roof, and is constructed of petrified wood. Rancho Estelle was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 3, 1974.

Location

Big Bend National Park, Brewster County, Texas
29.15530, -103.57832

Categories

AGRICULTUREARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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The Land
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Native Heritage
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Settlement
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Nearby Historic Sites

Castolon Historic District
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4.3 mi
Luna Jacal
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4.9 mi
Terlingua Historic District
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11.7 mi
Wilson, Homer, Ranch
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13.4 mi
Mariscal Mine
Industrial
27.4 mi

Nearby Battles

Glenn Springs Raid
1916Frontier
8.3 mi

Questions about this property

When was Rancho Estelle listed on the National Register?

Rancho Estelle was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 2, 1974.

What type of historic resource is Rancho Estelle?

Rancho Estelle is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Rancho Estelle?

The period of significance for Rancho Estelle is recorded as the colonial era.

Can I research the history near Rancho Estelle?

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