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The town of Seguin, east of San Antonio,
is known for different things depending on who you ask.
Some know it as the home of Texas revolutionary hero
Juan Seguin.
Others know it as keeper of the world's largest pecan.
And still others will tell you Seguin is the location
of one of the more unusual houses in the southwest,
the Sebastopol Home,
a concrete construction which dates from 1856,
now preserved as a state historic site.
It's a Greek temple, basically, set in south Texas.
Today the century-and-a-half- old Greek revival home
has a way of bringing history lessons to life.
[kid] What's the next question?
When was the house built? [kids laugh]
We do a lot of things with school groups.
The kids can come and experience
life as they would as a child growing up in the 19th century
through some of our programs.
So they learn something and it's just a lot of fun.
On your mark, get set, go!
As well as school groups,
the home hosts special events and welcomes drop-in visitors.
I'm honored to be here at the Sebastopol House.
And many day-trippers are surprised by what they find.
We're in middle of a town.
There's gas stations and restaurants right next to it,
and there's this little 2-1/2 acre oasis
of green and wildflowers and large trees,
and this huge sort of white glistening temple
that can look a little forbidding
when you go up to it initially.
But, after a tour of the home
or a taste of life in the 19th century,
visitors always seem glad they stopped at Sebastopol.
...in fact all of us can stand in the refrigerator...
[kids chatter] For real!
This is one of the oldest concrete structures
west of the Mississippi River
and really only one of three
that have been conserved and preserved in North America
out of this material.
These used to be all over Seguin
and we're one of the few now,
so it's definitely a reason to come visit.
[music]
There are so many layers of information and diversity here
and so many things to learn about,
it's well worth taking that extra effort.
And while in Seguin,
don't forget to visit a few of the other notable attractions.
There's a number of other historic sites to go to,
and of course our historic downtown
where you can see the world's largest pecan.
It's a lot of fun. It's a neat community
and some wonderful folks here.
It's well worth the drive, absolutely.
For more information on Texas state parks and historic sites,
visit our website or call 1-800-792-1112.