Austin / Central Texas / Hill Country
Brown County, Texas
A local guide to the county: the stories that give it a shape, practical checks, and a few things worth knowing before they surprise you. Every note points to its source.
8 stories · 4 practical · 2 good to know
The practical part
Brown County offices and deadlines
Appraisal district & tax office →
The Comptroller's official directory for Brown County: who sets your value and who sends the bill.
Homestead exemption →
File Form 50-114 with the appraisal district. It is free. The regular deadline is April 30, and late filing is allowed for up to two years.
Protest your appraisal →
The usual deadline is May 15, or 30 days after your notice arrives, whichever is later.
Estimate a tax bill →
Model a bill from local rates, the homestead exemption, and the appraisal cap.
Start here
A little of what makes this place itself
Brownwood · Railroad history
Brownwood's Depot Block Still Shows the Railroad Boom
The Santa Fe Passenger Depot and the Harvey House on East Depot Street tell the story of Brownwood as a rail junction, wartime stop, and traveler town.
Brownwood · Rail museum
Lehnis Railroad Museum Keeps Brownwood's Rail Story Moving
Brownwood's city-run Lehnis Railroad Museum sits across from the old depot and turns a family rail collection into a local visitor center.
Brownwood · Courthouse
The 1917 Courthouse Gives Brownwood Its Square
Brown County's 1917 courthouse is a Henry T. Phelps design with red brick, limestone detail, and an older 1884 vault still inside.
All 14 local notes
The full county shelf is mixed so stories and useful checks travel together. Use the filters when you need one kind.
Showing all 14 notes.
- Stories & local character History & Culture Brownwood's Depot Block Still Shows the Railroad Boom The Santa Fe Passenger Depot and the Harvey House on East Depot Street tell the story of Brownwood as a rail junction, wartime stop, and traveler town. Brownwood
- Practical Outdoors Lake Brownwood State Park: CCC History and Three Ecosystems Lake Brownwood State Park sits where three Texas ecosystems meet on the shore of a 7,300-acre lake, with cabins and trails built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s.
- Stories & local character History & Culture Lehnis Railroad Museum Keeps Brownwood's Rail Story Moving Brownwood's city-run Lehnis Railroad Museum sits across from the old depot and turns a family rail collection into a local visitor center. Brownwood
- Practical Money & Taxes Ag Valuation Can Lower Taxes on Rural Land in Brown County Land used for qualifying agricultural purposes in Brown County can be taxed on its productive value rather than its market value, which is usually lower.
- Good to know Home & Property Flash Floods and Low Water Crossings Are a Real Risk in Brown County Pecan Bayou and low water crossings on county roads can flood quickly during storms, and driving around barricades is both dangerous and illegal in Texas.
- Stories & local character History & Culture The 1917 Courthouse Gives Brownwood Its Square Brown County's 1917 courthouse is a Henry T. Phelps design with red brick, limestone detail, and an older 1884 vault still inside. Brownwood
- Practical Rules & Licenses Deer and Turkey Hunting Rules in Brown County Brown County hunters can take up to five deer per season with an antler restriction on bucks, and turkey hunting follows North Zone rules.
- Stories & local character History & Culture Early Keeps the East-Bank Side of Brownwood's Story Early sits east of Brownwood on Pecan Bayou, where the older Brownwood settlement, a post office, and a school-centered community all left traces. Early
- Practical Money & Taxes How the Brown County Appraisal District Handles Your Property Tax The Brown County Appraisal District sets property values and processes exemptions separately from the tax assessor-collector who sends your bill.
- Good to know Home & Property The Brown County Water Improvement District Supplies Most of the Area's Water Lake Brownwood is the water-supply workhorse for Brownwood, Bangs, Early, Brookesmith, and nearby users.
- Stories & local character History & Culture Greenleaf Cemetery Holds a Long Brownwood Memory Greenleaf Cemetery began with five acres donated in 1868 by Greenleaf Fisk and now holds more than 22,000 graves under native trees. Brownwood
- Stories & local character History & Culture Howard Payne Makes Brownwood a College Town Howard Payne began in 1889 with Pecan Valley Baptist roots, then grew into the Brownwood university that absorbed Daniel Baker College. Brownwood
- Stories & local character Outdoors Pecan Bayou Gives Brownwood a Quiet In-Town Paddle The Pecan Bayou paddling trail starts at Fabis Primitive Park and turns a slow stretch of Brownwood water into a short loop under old pecan trees.
- Stories & local character History & Culture Camp Bowie: Brown County's World War II Training Center During World War II, a massive military training camp covering about 120,000 acres south of Brownwood trained more than a quarter million soldiers and housed German prisoners of war.
Nearby counties