Originally called Sylvan, the name was changed to honor Newton Carmean, the first postmaster in 1892.
Central Texas
Central Texas is characterized by prairies and lakes, two lane roads that twist and climb, green valleys and limestone cliffs. It's rich in German heritage, wineries, abundant wildflowers, crystal clear rivers lined with cypress and oak, music, cafes offering ample country cooking, and history.
It's also a great outdoor destination for hiking, tubing, swimming, and camping.
Map of Central Texas Points
Things to See & Do in Central Texas
Old barn in New Bielau
Photo Rob Sneed
St. Olaf Kirke
St. Olaf Kirke, commonly referred to as The Rock Church, is a small Lutheran church located outside of Cranfills Gap in an unincorporated rural community known as Norse. St. Olaf Kirke is situated on...
Lawrence Chapel, Williamson County
Lawrence Chapel is off Farm Road 112 eleven miles southeast of Taylor in southeastern Williamson County. It was named for Adam Lawrence, a pioneer rancher and farmer and a veteran of the Texas...
Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church in New Bielau
The Rev. G. Geiger organized Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church on June 2, 1886, with a membership of six families. The church serves two communities, Content and New Bielau, located within one mile...
Lake Buescher, Smithville
Buescher State Park is a state park located just north of Smithville. The park consists of 1,016.7 acres of public land donated to the state by Mr. Emil and Mrs. Elizabeth Buescher, as well as the...
Bluff Dale
Bluff Dale, on U.S. Highway 377 and the North Paluxy River in northeastern Erath County, was originally called Bluff Spring by the pioneers who settled near the site’s artesian wells. Bluff...
St. James Episcopal in La Grange
In 1885, St James Episcopal Church was built in La Grange on a lot donated by the Shropshire family for a parish formed in 1855.
Lady Bird Lake in Austin
Lady Bird Lake (formerly Town Lake) is a reservoir on the Colorado River in Downtown Austin. It was created in 1960 by the construction of Longhorn Dam and is owned and operated by the City of Austin...
Texas Czech Center in La Grange
Like this oak near the Texas Czech Heritage Center, massive trees that are hundreds of years old were here before the streets of La Grange were laid out. In La Grange’s residential...
Colorful Tour of the Hill Country Painted Churches
When immigrants from Moravia found passage into Galveston, the Ellis Island of the South, many headed for the Texas Hill Country bringing a piece of their homeland with them.
Driftwood
Driftwood, seventeen miles northwest of San Marcos in central Hays County, grew up in the 1880s as a supply center for neighboring ranches and farms. Pioneers settled in the area, then known as...
Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, Fredericksburg
Several black families were residing in Gillespie County by the 1870s. A schoolhouse was built in 1877 on property adjacent to this later church site. Blacks probably met in the school for worship...
Luckenbach
Luckenbach maintains a ghost town feel with its small population and strong western roots. The post office closed April 30, 1971 and its zip code retired.
Salado
The Village of Salado is the best small town in Texas! With several bed and breakfasts and only a short drive up I35, between Waco and Austin.
Day Trippin’ in Dripping Springs
When people think of Dripping Springs, the “Gateway to the Hill Country”, many think of Hamilton Pool or West Cave Preserve. Both are spectacular outdoor spaces to spend a day. But there...
Brenham
Brenham, the county seat of Washington County, is on U.S. Highway 290 seventy-two miles northwest of Houston. The Hickory Grove community changed its name in 1843 to Brenham in honor of Republic of...
Fredericksburg
Located in Gillespie County, Fredericksburg was founded in 1846 and named after Prince Frederick of Prussia. Old-time German residents often referred to Fredericksburg as Fritztown, a nickname that...