| Marker Text |
The juncture of the Llano and Colorado rivers has attracted visitors for millenia. European settlers, including Martin D. King, began moving to the area in the 19th century. King purchased land here in 1877, and it is for him that Kingsland is named.
In 1892, the Austin and Northwestern Railroad built a railroad bridge at the Llano-Colorado river confluence and a depot between the tracks in Kingsland. At the same time, the railroad company purchased this land from Mrs. N.J. King. The company started construction of the Antlers Hotel in 1900. The two-story wooden hotel, which opened in 1901, was designed to welcome railroad passengers, who could easily walk here from their train. Hotel porches afforded views of both rivers, and guests could also stay in small cabins later built on the grounds. Visitors walked across the street to enjoy a park full of cottonwood trees that featured a pavilion with stage and dressing rooms. Behind the hotel, guests and residents fished in the adjoining lake, then called Crescent Lake. Pleasant and convenient, the railroad resort was frequented by tourists as well as business travelers.
As the automobile's influence slowed rail travel, the hotel business quieted; C.E. Shults purchased the hotel in 1913 and later sold it to the van der Stucken family. In 1923, former hotel guest Thomas H. Barrow of Austin bought the Antlers, and he and his family spent summers and vacations here. He also purchased surrounding land and, after his death in 1936, his family continued to enjoy the property until they sold it in 1993. The hotel and cabins were refurbished and reopened as a hotel complex in 1996, once again offering Texas Hill Country scenery and recreation to its many guests. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 2002 |
