Growing up in Brenham, Tina B. Henderson’s hometown felt too small for her dreams. She left to join the military and later built a life in California, where she earned a doctorate in educational psychology. But after 37 years away, she returned in 2017 to be near family and, shortly thereafter, met Eddie Harrison. The retired municipal court judge had a passion for both preserving the Black history of the small Washington County town and educating others about it.
“He understood the history of this county and what it was lacking,” Henderson says. When Harrison died in 2020, she took over the organization he founded, Texas Ten Historical Explorers. In the years since, Henderson has worked with the local historic preservation board to find ways to tell untold histories to broad audiences, starting with the connection between the town’s catastrophic 1866 fire and the fights that broke out after emancipation.
“There were so many newly freed people that the government sent soldiers to protect them,” Henderson explains of the community that became known as Camptown, one of the county’s 19 freedom colonies. Tensions continued to rise, leading to the fire that destroyed downtown. That resulted in the creation of a cistern system that was used well into the 20th century.
Today, you’ll find this story and dozens of others in the outdoor Freedom Colonies: Washington County’s Story exhibit in Belle’s Alley downtown and in the Camptown Soundwalk Experience audio tour. But Henderson isn’t finished with her work. She recently joined the community and economic development staff at Prairie View A&M University, where she’ll help other Texas small towns develop their own tourism efforts. She says it’s all thanks to her friend Harrison: “I owe all of what I’ve done to him.”
Henderson’s Brenham Picks
1 / Mural Tour
Many of downtown’s
restored buildings boast brightly colored murals painted by local artists, and the best way to see them is by taking a self-guided mural tour. (You can find maps in the local visitors center or online.) Look for a neon cowgirl, a wall covered in bluebonnets, and—Henderson’s favorite—a spotted longhorn on the side of BT Longhorn Saloon.
2 / Hot Nights Cool Tunes concert series
It’s not hard to find seasonal fun in Brenham, like the biannual Sip and Art Walk or January’s Blind Willie Johnson Fest in honor of the late gospel musician. Henderson’s favorite is the free Hot Nights Cool Tunes Saturday night concert series in July. “You take your chair and drinks and dance to whatever band is playing,” she says.
3 / The Tilted Windmill
This café and bakery has a rotating menu and cozy couches that encourage a lazy morning of reading and sipping coffee. Henderson’s go-to order is the grilled four-cheese sandwich with tomato soup.
4 / Brenham Heritage Museum
To learn about the people who shaped the town, check out the Brenham Heritage Museum. “It’s not a place where you can walk in and walk out,” Henderson says, so plan on spending at least an hour or even a whole afternoon. Be sure to find the exhibit about photographer and Brenham native Louise Ozelle Martin, who covered the funeral of Martin Luther King Jr.
5 / Ant Street Inn
One of the most popular places to stay in downtown Brenham is the Ant Street Inn, a former general store built in 1899 that Henderson remembers visiting as a kid. The Romanesque hotel, which occupies an entire city block, features vintage bathtubs and an array of antiques.
