History

Built around 1910, this two-story frame Colonial Revival was used as a boarding house for shipyard employees. The home was also used for shelter for 50 refugees during the 1919 hurricane that devastated the coast. In 1920, county judge Joe A. Harper (1881-1928) and his new wife, Bertha Oertling Harper (1888-1978), purchased the home. Judge Harper, a four-term County Judge, was influential in bringing the first coastal highway to the area which spurred development. After Joe’s untimely death in 1928, Bertha and her siblings lived in the home for almost 45 years while she continued her long career as a

Adolph Bracht (1872-1961) was born in Rockport and worked at lumber and grocery stores before establishing his own wholesale and retail grocery in 1899. He was a charter member of the Intracoastal Canal Association and active in the Chamber of Commerce and Sacred Heart Catholic church for many years. He shipped vegetables raised by growers in this area and the Rio Grande Valley. He ran his grocery business until his retirement in 1947. Adolph and his wife Gertrude (Prophet) had nine children. Their prairie-style two-story house (Built c.1898-1902) features lap siding, a low-pitched roof with dormers, wraparound porch with Doric

The Rt. Rev. Alexander Gregg, Bishop of the Diocese of Texas, officiated at the dedication of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Rockport on November 30, 1871.  Led by lay ministers for much of its early history, St. Peter’s first was located at the corner of Live Oak and Wharf Streets near the railroad depot, where services often were halted due to the noise of arriving and departing trains.  Relocated to this site in 1954, St. Peter’s became a self-sustaining parish ten years later.  It continues to serve the community with a variety of programs. (1991) State Historical Marker Number: 5078

Created out of the coastal portion of Refugio County in 1871, Aransas County is the second smallest county in Texas. Within its boundaries are three bays of the Gulf of Mexico – Copano, St. Charles, and Aransas. The area was the site of early Indian inhabitation and Spanish exploration, as well as Anglo colonization efforts of the 1830s and 1840s. Aransas County communities are supported by such industries as fishing, agriculture, offshore oil production, bird watching, and tourism. The county is home to the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, created in 1937. (1990)     [map] [pin center=”1″ description=”Aransas County Court

Roman Catholic priests visited the Rockport area as early as 1838.  The first Mass in the town of Rockport was celebrated in the home of County Judge John Hynes in 1860, and services continued there for a number of years.  Although property was deeded to the church in 1871, the first church building was not erected until 1889.  It was destroyed in a storm that same year and was replaced by another structure which served the congregation until 1954.  In addition to its parochial school, Sacred Heart Church has served the community with many outreach programs. (1991) State Historical Marker