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The rural settlement of Mount Vernon, named for the Virginia home of President George Washington, served as county seat of Washington County from 1841 to 1844. John Stamps (1798-1867), an early area settler, is credited with founding and naming the Mount Vernon community. Stamps, who owned vast acreage in this vicinity, represented Washington County in the Eighth Congress of the Republic of Texas in 1843-44. At its height, Mount Vernon included a log courthouse and jail, homes, businesses, churches, and a school. An estimated twenty families lived in the community. An election held in 1844 resulted in the relocation of the county seat to Brenham. The loss of county seat status, coupled with the improvement of transportation as new roads were built enabling easy travel to Brenham, resulted in the demise of the Mount Vernon township by the 1880s. Families gradually moved away, and by 1900 all that remained of the community were a few building foundations. Eventually, the town site reverted to farmland. Although no physical remnants of Mount Vernon exist, it remains a significant part of Washington County history. |
