History: Sebastopol House State Historic Site, located in Seguin, Guadalupe County, is a an 1856 Greek Revival-style house sitting on 2.2 acres of its original 4-acre site. Sebastopol House is listed as a Registered Texas Historic Landmark and is in the National Register of Historic Places as a result of its unusual limecrete construction and its architectural style. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department acquired the park by purchase in 1976 from the Seguin Conservation Society and opened it to the public in September 1989 following restoration. The house is restored to its 1880 appearance. Exhibits explain the original construction, the restoration process, and the history of the house and its inhabitants. Selected LeGette and Zorn family furnishings are displayed demonstrating the tastes of middle-class families of the late nineteenth century.

Sebastopol, probably named for the Russian naval base during the Crimean War, is an unusual split-level, T-shaped residence made of limecrete (a form of concrete), and detailed with Greek Revival-style. Built by Col. Joshua W. Young between 1854 and 1856, it is architecturally and technologically significant as one of the best surviving examples of early concrete construction in the southwest. Limecrete could be made inexpensively from local materials. By 1900, Seguin had approximately 90 limecrete structures, of which fewer than 20 remain. In his Journey Through Texas (1857), Frederick Law Olmsted, famed landscape architect of New York's Central Park, noted the use of concrete in a number of local buildings as he described Seguin as "the prettiest town in Texas."

Originally occupied by the builder's widowed sister and her family, Joseph Zorn, Jr. acquired the house in 1874 for his young family. Zorn was a moving force in the modernization of Seguin. First serving as alderman and postmaster, he won election to the mayor's office in 1890. He served as mayor for 20 years, stepping down from the office in 1910. Under his leadership, the the community secured water, electric, and telephone services. Zorn's most important contributions were in the field of education. After demanding an election in 1891 to create a trustee-managed, free public school system, Seguin residents made him the president of the first board of trustees. By the end of his tenure as a trustee in 1907, the district had built five new school buildings.

Zorn family members continued to live in the house until 1952. Following Calvert Zorn's death, the house was rented for a time by a local family. By the early 1960s, the house was abandoned and scheduled for demolition. The Seguin Conservation Society bought the property and restored the facade of the house, operating it as a historic house museum until 1976. When it became apparent that major structural repairs were beyond the scope of the Society, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department stepped in to preserve the landmark. The extensive work done on the building earned TPW the San Antonio Conservation Society Award.

Important information: Sebastopol's programs focus on the natural, cultural, and built environments of nineteenth century South central Texas. Permanent exhibits include family furnishings, archeological artifacts from the site, as well as the building process and restoration of limecrete. Temporary exhibits are displayed on a regular basis; call the park for details. Family picnicking is allowed on the grounds free of charge. No admission fees are charged at this site. Sebastopol's grounds are available for rent, by special arrangement, for weddings, receptions, reunions, parties, office picnics, etc.

Hours: Open: This is a day-use park open Friday - Sunday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; other days by appointment. Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter and New Year's Day. 

Admission Fees: Free!