Region: Prairies and Lakes
Established in 1822 and chartered in 1870, this community is one of the
smallest incorporated cities in Texas. The area was named Jones Post Office in
1835, but after German immigrants arrived in the 1840s, the town is said to have
received its current name from "the house with the round top"—an early
stagecoach stand. In 1854, Round Top Academy was founded here; advertised
tuition for the five-month session was $10, with boarding, laundry, fuel and
lights to cost an additional $12 to $15 per semester. The school closed in
1861.
Round Top hosts the "longest continuously celebrated Fourth of July west of
the Mississippi" and the "largest antique festival" in the nation, according to
the Wall Street Journal. The city is on Texas Independence Trail, El
Camino Real and in the Texas Settlement Region, just south of the Presidential
Corridor. Other events and attractions include the Annual International Guitar
Festival and world-renowned summer program at the International Festival
Institute; polka fests, tours and re-enactments in Henkel Square; Shakespeare at
Winedale; and symposia and seminars at the Winedale Historic Center.
Accommodations are available in 70-plus bed-and-breakfasts in the
area.