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Rockwall County TX
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ROCKWALL, TEXAS

Rockwall County Seat, Central Texas North

32° 55' 52" N, 96° 27' 35" W (32.931111, -96.459722)

Intersection of State Hwys 66 and 205
(Just N of I-30 / US 67)
Overlooking Lake Ray Hubbard
23 miles E of Dallas
Population: 45,888 Est. (2019)
37,490 (2010) 17,976 (2000) 10,486 (1990)

Book Hotel Here › Rockwall Hotels


Rockwall Texas - The Rock Wall
"The famous "rock wall" for which our town is named."
- Carolyn Holt, Museum Curator
Photo courtesy Rockwall Historical Foundation Museum

Situated on a hill with a commanding view of the lake and distant Dallas (actually Rowlett and Mesquite) it's a shame that there's not more of Rockwall.


History in a Pecan Shell


Once a part of Kaufman County, the land was originally settled by the Boydstun family of Illinois in the 1840s. In 1852 Elijah Elgin donated forty acres to establish a town.

The name comes from the 1851 discovery of a rock outcropping that appears (to some) to have been constructed by man.

The town formally came into being on April 17, 1854, the same year a post office opened.

The split with Kaufman County came in 1873 when the state legislature declared it separate and naturally Rockwall became the county seat.

In 1886 the Missouri, Kansas and Texas railroad arrived and the economy responded accordingly. Farmers and merchants from Blackland and Heath, Texas moved into Rockwall raising the population to nearly 1,000 in 1890.

In 1893 Wells College opened and the population continued to grow. The Great Depression saw a slight decline, but after WWII it again increased.

In 1970 it was more than 3,000, but compared to neighboring Dallas it was still a small town. That changed with the construction of Lake Ray Hubbard. By the 1990s it reported a count of 10,486 to census enumerators.

Lake Ray Hubbard view from  Rockwall Texas
Looking west at Lake Ray Hubbard from a hill in Rockwall
Photo courtesy Terry Jeanson, June 2007

Rockwall, Texas
Landmarks / Attractions


TX - Rockwall County Courthouse
Photo courtesy Terry Jeanson, September 2014
Rockwall County Courthouse

Rock wall in Rockwall Texas
A portion of the subterranean rock wall, for which the county is named, sits in front of the courthouse.
Photo courtesy Terry Jeanson, June 2007

Rockwall Texas - Rock Wall
"The size of the stones, the regular lines in which they are laid, and the mortar between them are shown in this photo. This excavation was made by a Mr. Sanders of Fort Worth in 1949."
Courtesy Rockwall Historical Foundation Museum

Rockwall TX - Historic Rockwall County Courtroom

Former County Jail, located on the top floor of the former courthouse
Photo courtesy Dylan Gielow, October 2014

More Texas Jails


Rockwall TX - Former Magnolia Station

Historic Rockwall County Courtroom
in the Art Deco Courthouse on the square

Photo courtesy Dylan Gielow, October 2014


Rockwall TX - Rockwall City Hall

Rockwall City Hall
Photo courtesy Clint Skinner, February 2020


Rockwall TX -  MKT Depot, built 1925,

Rockwall's MKT Depot, built 1925, now a dentist office
Photo courtesy Dylan Gielow, October 2014

More Texas Depots


Rockwall TX - Former First Baptist Church

Former First Baptist Church
Photo courtesy Dylan Gielow, October 2014


Historical Marker (at the corner of S. Goliad and Boydstun Street, Rockwall)

First Baptist Church of Rockwall

Organized in 1852 by Elder John R. Briscoe and Elder M. Glover in the home of J. C. Williams, this was originally called New Hope Baptist Church, as Rockwall was not founded until 1854. Charter members: Hester, Isaac, James, Mildred, and Persila Briscoe; Felitha, Martha and Rosana Jones; Hannah Thompson; J. C. and Nancy Williams. First regular pastor was the Rev. H. E. Calahan. After years in homes, schoolhouses, and a Masonic hall, the congregation occupied a building of its own in 1876; present sanctuary, 1970. This is the oldest congregation in the Dallas Baptist Association.
(1976)

Rockwall TX - Former First Methodist Church

Former First Methodist Church, built in 1912
Photo courtesy Dylan Gielow, October 2014
More Texas Churches


Historical Marker (at the intersection of S. Goliad and Damascus Streets, Rockwall)
First United Methodist Church of Rockwall
This congregation developed from early worship services conducted by area pioneers in the home of Mrs. Hugh Shaw. The church was formally organized in 1856, several years prior to the formation of Rockwall County. Constituted with less than twenty members under the direction of the Rev. J. A. Scruggs, the small fellowship met in the local Masonic lodge building until the first sanctuary was constructed at 102 North Fannin Street in 1874. The one-room frame structure featured a belfry and a tall steeple. During its first three decades, the First Methodist Church of Rockwall shared its ministers with other pioneer area Methodist churches. By 1887, however, membership in the First Methodist Church had grown such that the Rev. James McDugald was appointed to serve as the congregation's first full-time pastor. To accommodate the membership's continued growth, additional facilities were later built, and the church relocated to this site in 1981. For more than 100 years, the First United Methodist Church of Rockwall has sponsored many active organizations in its congregation which have provided great service and leadership to the community of Rockwall. Many descendants of the original fellowship continue to worship here.
(1983)

Rockwall TX - Former Magnolia Station

Former Magnolia Station, now last barbers on the square
Photo courtesy Dylan Gielow, October 2014

More Texas Gas Stations


USS Rockwall WWII
"The U.S.S. Rockwall, a transport battleship, that served in the Pacific during WWII."
- Carolyn Holt, Museum Curator
Photo courtesy Rockwall Historical Foundation Museum

Rockwall Texas water tower
Rockwall water tower.
Photo courtesy Terry Jeanson, June 2007

More Texas Water Towers



Take a road trip

Rockwall, Texas Nearby Towns:
Dallas
See Rockwall County | Central Texas North

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