Cattle grazing, dairy farming, and crops of hay and vegetables have been the order of business at this updated 1860s German farmhouse property, designated a “Century Ranch” by the Texas Dept. of Agriculture for its continuous operation by a single family. (Actual reported time of tenancy by the Hillegeist family: more than 130 years.) The Tomball homestead, outbuildings, and pastures occupy 133 acres west of SH 249 near the Oaks of Rosehill area off FM 2920 (which places it about 20 miles west of the new ExxonMobil campus, in case you’re calculating). The property has been on the market since June 2014, for $6.64 million.
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Oak trees planted more than 100 years ago shade the 5-acre fenced section that’s home to the 1,572-sq.-ft. farmhouse and several of its outbuildings (above).
A sun porch entry faces north pastures.
Renovations back around Y2K brought the place into its 3rd century. Many of the windows are original, as are the pine floors . . .
but updates spiffed up the flow between rooms and finishes, brought in central air and heat, and boosted other modern conveniences.
There are 3 bathrooms — though none made the listing photos. Both secondary bedrooms are on the first floor. Here’s one of them:
For the master suite, head upstairs:
That’s it for the interior. From the back deck, pastures and more pastures are the view:
The old smokehouse is part of the package:
As is the structure the listing calls the “dairy barn” :
A dirt road leads past buildings used as a tool shed and a saddle room. The smaller metal building houses the property’s private water well system.
Up a stretch, there’s a stock pond . . .
which doubles as a watering hole for livestock and any passing critters . . .
There’s also a storage building . . .
and cattle shed.
An assortment of fencing and cross-fencing sections off the land:
The listing notes the pastoral property is 218 ft. above sea level, one of the highest points in Harris County. Meanwhile, a mile or so south of the listing, a Grand Parkway segment is expected to open in 2015. The neighborhood of Powder Mill Estates, near Tomball’s Spring Creek Park 3 miles to the northeast, was carved out of a separate family ranch sold by the Hillegeists back in 1996.
Official signage on one of the homestead’s fences by its main road (and gate) details the property’s designation (at right). A closer look at this spread of country living is available by appointment only.
- 21327 Cedar Ln. [HAR]
It’s a lovely homestead – simple, straight-forward, all about the land.
I like the heifer portraits in the sunroom…
It’s about to become a freakin subdivision named Rosehill Lakes or something…
Tomball will destroy whatever culture they have. The place is filled with hicks. Sugarland has Asian culture. West Houston has oil and gas internationals. Pearland has medical professionals. And tomball is the suburb where all the hicks have chosen to live.
When I close my eyes, this is what I see…
“Lakes of Hillegeist Ranch” – the ranch house will be moved to the entrance and kept as the sales office at first, a “community center” and MUD building later. Big waterfall at the entrance with a fake windmill and a bronze Longhorn bull…and row after row of cul-de-sac McMansions. Two live oaks in every St. Augustine front yard, 3 types of stone on the façade, 3 colors to choose from, an “award-winning” elementary school somewhere in the back, and a brand new HEB 10 minutes away.
Why the racial slurs, Houstonian?
@tsk “hick” is not a racial term. I probably should have used redneck, though. Basically it’s a mindset that reading, knowledge and culture is for losers. That’s why no one has defended Tomball here, either because no one from tomball values reading or someone from Tomball reading this right now knows that I’m describing their neighbors perfectly.
Superdave, Four Corners (2920/249 intersection) is 10 minutes away, with new HEB, Kroger Signature, Lowes, Target (will need to upgrade to superstore), Academy, Kohl’s. Oh, and beside the new Grand Parkway just to the south, the new Aggie Freeway is 10 minutes away, too.
Just hate that the old homestead will be gone. I don’t see it getting past being a sales office. First to go is the Century Farm sign. Legally can’t keep it once the farm goes out of the family. I used to live the next road over. Got out before the GP got pushed through. I remember seeing an emu in their pasture back then.
“private water well system”…usually means lots of minerals in the water along with a bad taste. It may have a bad smell also.
The water from the well may be hard in that area, but doesn’t smell or taste bad. I’d rather have well water than the brown Houston stuff we got when our office was on that system. And no extra chemicals added to make it ‘safe’. I hate the bland taste of bottled water. I think a little minerals in the water improves the flavor. And now, you pay to have minerals put back into the bottled water.