Welcome to Historic Downtown Rockdale. We begin Walking Tour at the NE corner of Burleson Street and Cameron Ave at the site of one of Rockdale's most historic landmark which has contributed greatly to the community.   The former City Hall and Opera House was designed by renowned Texas Architect Arthur Osborn Watson and built in 1895. This gorgeous building, now called “The 1895”, has been getting a restoration facelift thanks to Vision Historic Preservation Foundation and the generous donors and grantmakers who have contributed to this monumental project.   

Watson is known to have designed many Texas Courthouses and other important buildings and affluent homes at the turn of the century.  These include Taylor National Bank (1894), DeWitt County Courthouse (1896), Southwestern Telegraph & Telephone Building (Austin, 1899), All Saints Episcopal Church (Austin, 1899), Austin High School (1900), Christ Episcopal Church (Temple, 1904), State Lunatic Asylum (Austin, 1904), Confederate Women's Home (Austin, 1908), Bartlett Grammar School (1909) and Alpine Grammar School (1910). Watson also partnered with Jacob Laramour to design the Milam County Courthouse in 1892.

The 1895 housed a variety of municipal and civic functions over its 125+ years of service to the community —

In addition to the municipal water and government functions in the front half of the building, it housed the Volunteer Fire Department from 1895-1986 in the back half of the downstairs. 

From 1906-the early 1920s, the downstairs SE sector housed the Rockdale Reporter. In 1906, RWH Kennon merged the Reporter and the Messenger and set up operations in the SE downstairs section of The 1895.  After his death, his widow sold the business to John Esten Cooke in 1911.  The Reporter has now been in the Cooke Family for 4 generations! The 1906 and 1912 Sanborn maps show “Printing” in this section of The 1895.  In 1925, the Sanborn map shows the Reporter across the street.  The Cooke Family reports they relocated to a wooden building at the site of the current Rockdale Reporter in the early 1920s. 

The Rockdale Chamber of Commerce was formed in 1919 and housed in the downstairs SW office until it moved to the upstairs SE office in 1940. It housed there until sometime in the 1980s at which time it relocated to the SE corner of Main & Cameron. 

Upstairs was originally the full length of the building and was an Opera House with a stage.  Early 1900s newspaper archives have revealed numerous theatrical & musical events – professional, recreational and school productions.  Until the Auditorium on Bowser was built in 1936, many school functions were held at the Opera House, including graduation ceremonies, school dances, and even school basketball tournaments in the 1930s when it was boldly called the “Tiger Cage”.  

Newspaper archives indicate that several civic organizations held meetings in the upstairs Opera House.  As early as 1900 a Latin Literary Club (the M.I.P.) met upstairs, as well as the Lions Club which formed in 1926, and the American Legion Carlyle Post 358 in 1930. 

Professional Sporting events were also popular.  In the early 1900’s professional wrestling matches were documented to have been held in the Opera House. Articles discuss rousing speeches by various statesmen and presentations by purveyors of new equipment and products to help advance agriculture and industry. 
A 1914 advertisement also promoted showings of new “talkie” motion pictures in the Opera House which was considered a marvel of the era.

After a 1939 WPA Modernization during which the building was stripped of its Victorian features and stuccoed white, the downstairs continued as the municipal services and the upstairs – now converted to offices and half the size due to repurposing the brick from the back half of the upstairs to build a bisecting support wall – housed several other important community services.  

By the 1950s the Rockdale Police Department had moved into The 1895 City Hall and in 1952 a jail was built onto the back of the building.  The Police Station & Jail were housed here until 2019 when they relocated to the new building at Green Street.

In 1954, the first Library in Milam County was created in the two spaces on the upstairs east side of the building. The Rockdale Rotary Club (which formed in 1953) was essential in this founding, having collected 1,000 books and $550 to launch the library.  The library which upon opening hired Ida Lee Hairston as the Librarian, operated in The 1895 until the current library was built in 1963 where Hairston continued to serve as Librarian. 

In the 1950s, a Public Health Nurse office upstairs in the center office on the west side.  There many remember climbing the stairs to go get their shots, which helped to prevent outbreaks of polio and tuberculosis.  During this time, the Fire Dept also held Rabies Shot Clinics.

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The lot behind The 1895, which Vision Historic Preservation Foundation also owns, had a number of dwellings upon it throughout the years.  In 1936 Philips & Luckey Funeral Home occupied one of the wood dwellings on this lot at the SE corner of Burleson Street & Bell Ave behind The 1895. Their office was in the building on Main Street currently occupied by Heavenly Treasures.  In 1943 the wood dwelling funeral home burned down, and a new structure was built where they operated until moving to the West side of Rockdale in 1992.

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For more history of The 1895 visit the following blogs:

• Meet A.O. Watson, architect of The 1895

• The History of The 1895

• The Opera House at The 1895 (1900-1938)

• The Many Roles of The 1895 (circa 1930-2000)

• History of the Rockdale Jail at The 1895 (circa 1950)

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Vision Historic Preservation Foundation looks forward to continuing the work to restore The 1895 and transforming it into an Arts & Entertainment Center so it can continue to serve the community in a positive way. In late 2023, The 1895 received a designation as a Local Historic Landmark by the City of Rockdale. As a vital part of Downtown Rockdale’s revitalization, our vision is for The 1895 to provide Arts & Cultural Enrichment and Entertainment opportunities, as well as new dining experiences.

Please make your tax deductible donation using the DONATE button at the top of the page, or mail a check to Vision Historic Preservation Foundation to PO BOX 1008, Rockdale, TX 76567.