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A−History
History · Castroville

Castroville dates to 1844, and 5 of its places are on the National Register

More historic than 82% of U.S. towns · #24 of 642 in Texas. What drives it

Most of Castroville was built recently: 10% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1984. 5 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 12 buildings. Below: maps from 1982 on and the census since 1850.

1844founded
5on the National Register
10%homes built before 1940
1famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
Quick answers

How Castroville began

When was Castroville founded?

1844

Castroville dates its founding to 1844 (Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history agree). The census first counted it in 1850.

First census: 366 in 18502020 census: 2,954182 years

How historic is Castroville?

A−

More historic than 82% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikidata; Wikipedia’s history section gives the same year. First post office: 1847.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Castroville’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Castroville is more historic than 82% of U.S. towns, #24 of 642 in Texas. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.

A−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Castroville’s overall grade.
Founding era1844, from Wikidata: founded 1776–1849, an older era than 75% of U.S. townsA−Homes built before 19409.8% of homes (±4.2) · typical TX town 1.6% · U.S. 8.4%B−National Register5 listings, 21 historic buildings, 67.9 per 10,000 residents · typical TX town 0.0 · U.S. 2.4A
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 82%
NewerOlder
Texas towns of 2,500+ (642)Ahead of 96%

Few Texas towns list much on the Register (a typical Texas town has 0.0 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Castroville’s 67.9 sits above most of its state (95% of Texas towns have fewer) while its 21 historic buildings outnumber those of 80% of U.S. towns.

How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from B to A. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±4.2 points). Two sources give 1844.

Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →

What stands out about Castroville’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Castroville are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Deep rootsEstablished in 1844: 182 years of Castroville.Landmarks on the Register5 places on the National Register.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Castroville’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Castroville’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
Timeline

Castroville, 1844 to 1982

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1844
    FoundingCastroville is established
  3. 1847Post officeThe Castroville post office opens
  4. 1853BuiltLandmark Inn Complex is built
  5. 1875Born hereLola Maverick Lloyd is born here
  6. 20th century
  7. 1982On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
On the National Register

5 listings protect 21 historic buildings

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

places listed
5
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
21
each building in a district counts
first listed
1970
Castroville Historic District
Castroville Historic DistrictLandmark Inn Complex, built 1853Charles de Montel HouseDan's Meat Market and SaloonRainbow Theater
BuildingsDistricts

Architectural styles listings

Greek Revival1
Castroville Historic DistrictDistrict
Landmark Inn ComplexBuilt 1853
All 5 listings
Charles de Montel HouseBuilding · listed 1980Dan's Meat Market and SaloonBuilding · listed 2024Rainbow TheaterBuilding · listed 2024

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

The story

How Castroville came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Castroville.

Read it all →

Castroville was established in 1844 by Henri Castro, an empresario of the Republic of Texas, who brought several dozen German, and French families such as the Boheme, Haby, Burges, Hoog, and Mcmullen Families, to the area from Alsace, Switzerland, and adjoining Baden to populate his land grant along the Medina River 20 miles (32 km) west of San Antonio. The first colonists disembarked at Galveston on January 9, 1843. They were taken by ship to Lavaca Bay and traveled overland to San Antonio, where they took shelter in abandoned buildings until the Texas Rangers were prepared to escort them to their land and protect them from hostile Indians. On September 2, 1844, the first colonists arrived at Castro's land grant on the Medina River.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

By decade

Castroville, decade by decade

Today11 recent
U.S. Post Office, Castroville, TX IMG 32732011U.S. Post Office, Castroville, TX IMG 3273Trailhead, Castroville, TX IMG 32682011Trailhead, Castroville, TX IMG 3268The Old Alsatian Steakhouse, Castroville, TX IMG 32552011The Old Alsatian Steakhouse, Castroville, TX IMG 3255The Medina River in Castroville, TX IMG 32432011The Medina River in Castroville, TX IMG 3243Scorched corn fields, Castroville, TX, 2011 IMG 32312011Scorched corn fields, Castroville, TX, 2011 IMG 3231Medina Valley United Methodist Church, Castroville, TX IMG 32362011Medina Valley United Methodist Church, Castroville, T…Hiking trail at Castroville, TX Regional Park IMG 32712011Hiking trail at Castroville, TX Regional Park IMG 3271First Baptist Church, Castroville, TX IMG 32752011First Baptist Church, Castroville, TX IMG 3275Castroville, TX, State Bank, IMG 32602011Castroville, TX, State Bank, IMG 3260Castroville, TX Public Library IMG 32642011Castroville, TX Public Library IMG 3264TXMap-doton-Castroville2004TXMap-doton-Castroville
On the map

Castroville on the map in 1982

The U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Castroville.

Castroville on the 1982 USGS map1982Castroville sheet · 1:24,000

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Castroville.

People over time

Castroville, census by census

05001,0001,5002,0002,5003,00018501900195020002,954

Grew from 366 people in 1850 to 2,954 in 2020, 8 times over.

13 censuses, 1850–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Castroville’s Wikipedia page.

Places that used to be

Old burying grounds

Castroville’s post office has been open since 1847.

3cemeteries and burying grounds inside Castroville
Castroville CommunitySaint LouisZion

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

Questions about Castroville’s history

What year was Castroville founded?

In 1844, according to Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history of the town. Castroville’s post office opened in 1847, and the census of 1850 counted 366 people here.

How does Castroville rank for history?

Castroville is more historic than 82% of U.S. towns, #24 of 642 in Texas. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.

What is on the National Register in Castroville?

5 listings: 4 buildings and 1 historic district, the Castroville Historic District, with 12 contributing buildings. 21 historic buildings in all.

How old are the homes in Castroville?

10% of Castroville’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±4.2 points), against a typical 1.6% for a Texas town; the median home was built in 1984.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

From Wikimedia Commons (11), Wikidata (1), the National Register of Historic Places (5), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.