Living in Brenham, TX

Brenham is the county seat of Washington County, about 72 miles northwest of Houston on US 290. It's home to Blue Bell Creameries, a historic downtown and some of the prettiest bluebonnet country in Texas.

Getting around

US 290 runs through Brenham, connecting east to Houston and west toward Austin. SH 36 heads northwest to Somerville and Lake Somerville.

Things to do

Blue Bell Creameries, with a visitor center and a self-guided look at how the ice cream is made
Downtown Brenham, with antique shops, galleries, restaurants and the Brenham Heritage Museum in the old post office
The Antique Rose Emporium, a rose nursery with display gardens
Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historic Site, where the Texas Declaration of Independence was signed, about 20 minutes away
Maifest each May, a German heritage festival dating to 1881, and the Chappell Hill Bluebonnet Festival in April

Schools

Brenham is served by Brenham ISD, and Blinn College, founded in 1883, has its original campus here. Rural addresses can fall in neighboring districts, so I always confirm the school assignment for a specific address.

Homes and acreage

You'll find Victorian and historic homes near downtown, established neighborhoods, newer subdivisions, and a lot of rolling acreage and ranch property in the surrounding countryside. With acreage, I'll help you check water, septic, surveys and access, ag exemptions and floodplain before you buy.

A little history

Hickory Grove was renamed Brenham in 1843 for Dr. Richard Fox Brenham, a Republic of Texas hero, and it became the county seat in 1844. German immigrants began settling here in 1846, and that heritage still shows up every May at Maifest.