Bellville, Texas
Population: 3,900
Located in Austin County
Welcome to Bellville Texas. A beautiful country town full of grace and simplicity. Where small town living is a way of life. Cowboys are still Cowboys, and children can still be children. Located in the geographic center of historic Austin County, in the heart of the picturesque Texas wildflower country, is Bellville, Texas. Founded in 1848, and incorporated in 1927, Bellville enjoys a population of approximately 3400 residents. Bellville is a charming, clean, well-planned community, featuring a colorful mixture of various cultures, along with festivals celebrating those heritages. With smog-free air, a pastoral atmosphere, and high accessibility to major highways, Bellville offers many desirable features to the visitor, the resident, and various business interests. This desirable location is approximately 60 miles west of Houston, and 14 miles north of Interstate Highway 10, at the intersections of State Highway 36 and 159. At an elevation of 275 feet above sea level, Bellville stands in timeless harmony with its green rolling hills and spectacular wildflower displays from early spring through late summer. The annual average temperature in Bellville is 73-degrees, with an average high of 92-degrees in July and an average low of 43 in January. Average precipitation is 66+ inches with south prevailing winds and an average growing season of 282 days. Initially settled by Thomas and James Bell who immigrated from Florida in 1822, as some of Stephen F. Austin's earliest settlers. They donated over 145 acres to Austin County, and Bellville was named for them. Bellville is the county seat of Austin County, and the town was platted in 1846 to center around the Courthouse and town square. Bellville is a city rich in local Texas history. The many markers in the area chronicle incidents from the early days of Texas, both as a republic and later as a state. Noted with plaques are the original school sites in the county, over 170 cemetery locations (some on private property), The Austin County Jail, as well as many buildings and homes located around the town square and in the residential districts. CHURCHES AND SCHOOLS Bellville's churches include congregations of Baptists, Catholics, Episcopalians, Lutherans, Methodists, Church of Christ, a Full Gospel Mission, other Christian Churches, a Christian Science Society and Jehovah's Witnesses. Several churches offer preschool programs. Bellville Independent School District encompasses a great part of northern Austin County. The district operates six campuses: O'Bryant Primary (K-3), O'Bryant Intermediate (4-5), West End Elementary (K-5), Bellville Jr. High (6-8), Bellville Senior High (9-12), and the Alternative Education Campus. Bellville's schools employ principals and assistant principals, as well as counselors for all locations. With approximately 2100 students, the schools are well staffed to meet the needs of all students, including speech therapy, dyslexia, English as a second language, and special education. At the high school level, vocational and agricultural cooperative educational programs are also offered. Student participation in academic, music, and athletic U.I.L. competition, has resulted in district, regional, and state championships in a variety of areas. Blinn College and Prairie View A & M University are both within 30 miles of Bellville. Texas A & M University at College Station, Texas, is approximately 60 miles north. HEALTH CARE FACILITIES Medical care is provided by the Bellville General Hospital and by the Emergency Medical Services of Austin County. The Bellville Hospital serves a wide belt between Katy and Brenham. The hospital offers the latest technology in equipment, and quality medical attention providing area residents with excellent health care. The 32-bed hospital, which is staffed by 20 doctors, offers state-of-the-art services, including emergency, laboratory, mammography, outpatient care, physical therapy, respiratory therapy, CAT scan, heart monitoring, and other modern health care technologies. Life Flight is available to Bellville through association with Herrmann Hospital in Houston. RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES Bellville boasts a challenging, pretty nine-hole golf course (par 72 for 18 holes). Spot the occasional deer as you enjoy the country air and singing of the birds. The Clubhouse is home to the Men's Golf Association and the Ladies Golf Association, both of which welcome new members with the typical friendliness found throughout the community. Green fee players are welcome on most days. Country Market Days on the Square - The first Saturday of each month, enjoy arts, crafts, collectibles and antiques from the many antique shops open daily around the town square, and the vendors who "set up shop" during the first Saturday every month. The Bellville Chamber of Commerce hosts an Annual Country Livin' Festival during April with special emphasis on "the way things use to be". Antique dealers from around Texas and other states offer their wares during the Antique Shows in March and October. The Austin County Fair in October brings youth from the entire county into Bellville to show and market their livestock. This true "country fair" atmosphere is a weeklong event in which there is something for everyone! Country theatre groups, civic chorale ensembles, Small Town Christmas on the Square, Quilt Guild Bazaar, Firemen's Celebration, July Celebration, all combine to round out the quiet and friendly quality of life that residents and visitors to Bellville enjoy. The Austin County Jail building constructed in 1896 is now a museum and is open for tours on a regular basis. The building consists of three complete stories, plus a fourth, smaller area known as the "gallows". The "gallows" were used only once, on March 14, 1901, at 2:14 p.m., Gus Davis was hanged for the murder of Herman Schlunz. In 1976, the Austin County Jail building was awarded a Texas Historical Commission Medallion and was entered into the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. A list of many other historic buildings is available from the Bellville Chamber of Commerce (409-865-3407).
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