City of Rockdale

Rockdale began as a railroad town in 1874 along a new line of the International & Great Northern. It grew quickly as a shipping point and soon boasted churches, schools, cotton gins, grist mills, an opera house, a bank and newspaper. The City of Rockdale formally organized in 1875. Work on a city hall began at this site in 1895 on the design of Austin architect A.O. Watson. Completed years later, it provided space for city programs, social gatherings, school functions and political meetings, and housed the volunteer fire department for 80 years. Altered in the 1930s, resulting in the loss of a tall bell tower, the former city hall still serves as a reminder of Rockdale's early development. (2005)

City of Rockdale is a historical marker in Rockdale, Milam County, dedicated in 2004. It is one of 88 historical markers documented in Milam County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 151 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 30.6554, -97.0023 near Rockdale. The nearest cataloged historic site is First Christian Church of Rockdale (historical marker), about under a tenth of a mile away. Others within a short drive include Site of Mundine Hotel, International & Great Northern Railroad Passenger Depot, and Railroads in Rockdale.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5507013850. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.