Fincastle

One of the earliest settlements in Henderson County, Fincastle developed during the early 1850s. At that time, this part of the state was a center of economic activity with a growing number of plantations and farms. In 1851 John Tindel (1796-1864) purchased 1091 acres in the Juan Jose Martinez survey and later platted the community townsite. He laid out fourteen lots, measuring 60 feet long and 70 yards deep. The community attracted farmers, tradesmen, professional people, and other settlers who came to Texas. Fincastle was the scene of much activity during the Civil War, as Capt. William H. ("Howdy") Martin came in 1861 to raise troops. In addition, a quartermaster and commissary department was established here. By 1880 Fincastle had several stores, a blacksmith shop, cotton gins, saloons, a combination drugstore and doctor's office, several churches, and a school. Farmers from surrounding areas came here to sell their cotton and produce and to buy supplies for their homes and farms. About 1900, most of the members of the settlement moved to the county seat of Athens, and Fincastle declined. A church, the Pioneer Cemetery, and the nearby home of John Tindel are all that remain of this early trade center.

Fincastle is a historical marker in Poynor, Henderson County, dedicated in 1984. It is one of 65 historical markers documented in Henderson County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 155 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 32.1289, -95.5679 near Poynor. The nearest cataloged historic site is Fincastle Cemetery and Church (historical marker), about under a tenth of a mile away. Others within a short drive include Miller Family, Bethel Cemetery #1, and Myrtle Springs Cemetery.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5213010353. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.