Brenham Heritage Museum

Located in the Brenham Federal Building, this museum offers exhibits and programs that share the history of Washington County, Texas from Paleo-Indian culture to the twenty-first century. The cornerstone for the federal building was laid on May 5, 1915, and it originally served as a U.S. Post Office. During renovations to the building from 2021 to 2022, the museum was temporarily moved to the Brenham Bus Depot building in the downtown business district.

The museum is housed in a Neoclassical building and former U.S. Post Office constructed in 1915. After more than a century, however, by 2020 the historic federal building was in need of a renovation. While this main building was undergoing renovations from 2021 to 2022, the museum temporarily opened in the Brenham Bus Depot building, located in the downtown business district to the east of the Washington County Courthouse. Built in 1947, the Brenham Bus Depot building remains one of the three Art Deco buildings that are still standing in Washington County. During the interim period, while the museum's main building was being renovated, smaller exhibits were hosted in the bus depot.

After renovations were completed, the museum held a grand re-opening ceremony in November 2022 featuring several new, large exhibits. One exhibit honored nearly two hundred years of military service by men and women from Brenham and Washington County. Another exhibit highlighted the history of transportation in Washington County, with a full gallery containing historic photographs. A video jukebox provided visitors with an opportunity to select from among seventy-five different short films that showcased the heritage of Brenham, Texas. In addition to the new permanent exhibits, temporary exhibits are staged in the Blue Bell Gallery, such as a rotating exhibit that offers a look at the history of agriculture and food crops in Washington County. The museum's permanent collections include items related to World War I; artifacts related to Maifest, a German holiday celebrating spring; toys from nineteenth and twentieth century; greeting cards by the artist William Condon; and historic baseball players from Washington County.

In February 2023, the museum launched a new exhibit to celebrate Black History Month titled "John and Mary Marks: A Love Story that Transcends Time and Boundaries." Featuring historic images, diaries, and other artifacts from the 1800s, the exhibit shares the story of John and Mary Marks, two of Washington County's earliest known African American settlers. John Marks, a Methodist preacher, and his wife, Mary, arrived in Texas during the early 1800s with connections to the West Indies, San Felipe, and the Texas pioneers from the "Old Three Hundred," those who obtained land grants to settle in Texas as part of Stephen Austin's colony. The exhibit draws upon Methodist Church records, archival records from Southern Methodist University's Bridewell Library Collection, land deeds from Washington County, local historical records, handwritten diaries, letters, and other artifacts to share a compelling story about the life and times of John and Mary Marks.

Brenham Bus Depot, Brenham Heritage Museum. Accessed May 30th, 2023. https://brenhamheritagemuseum.org/depot/.

Brown, Doug. "Brenham Heritage Museum to Hold Grand Re-Opening", KWHI. November 14th, 2022. Accessed May 30th, 2023. https://kwhi.com/2022/11/14/brenham-heritage-museum-to-hold-grand-re-opening/.

Cole, Sabrina. "Brenham Heritage Museum Celebrates 133 Years of Maifest", Brenham Heritage Museum. February 16th, 2023. Accessed May 30th, 2023. https://brenhamheritagemuseum.org/maifest-133-years/.

Cole, Sabrina . "Brenham Heritage Museum Honors Black History Month With New Exhibit" , Brenham Heritage Museum. February 16th, 2023. Accessed May 30th, 2023. https://brenhamheritagemuseum.org/black-history-month/.

Home, Brenham Heritage Museum. Accessed May 30th, 2023. https://brenhamheritagemuseum.org/.