Tennessee native Henry Villars Robertson (1803-1856) first came to Texas in 1826 with his cousin, the Empresario Sterling Clack Robertson. He returned to Tennessee, where he married Rebecca Oldham (1805-1881) in 1828. Ten years later the couple, with their children and slaves, came to Texas and established a plantation at this site. Their home, which originally featured a dogtrot between the two main rooms, was built in the 1850s from native materials. The homestead is an important reminder of early colonization efforts in Texas.