Your Expert Guide

Round Top: A tiny haven in the Texas countryside

Agent Linda Plant, with her "assistant" Charlie.

Photo courtesy of Martha Turner Sotheby's International Realty

There are so many great places to live in Houston that it helps to have an expert on your side. The Neighborhood Guide presented by Martha Turner Sotheby's International Realty gives you insider access from the agents who live and work there, providing in-the-know info about your possible new community.
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Not everything is bigger in Texas — and that’s just how Round Top likes it. With a population of just 87 (yes, you read that right!), this town embraces the charm of being “big time small.”

Located in northern Fayette County, about 90 minutes west of Houston, Round Top is brimming with charm, friendliness, and relaxed country living.

Round Top is renowned for its biannual Antique and Design Show, which attracts dealers from across the country and world. Venues like Blue Hills, The Compound, The Arbor, Market Hill, and Marburger Farms stretch for miles along Highway 237, offering treasures for everyone.

Linda Plant, who has lived on a beautiful Round Top farm since 2003, brings invaluable firsthand experience to her clients.

"The community offers a slower pace of living, a welcome respite for weekenders from the city or for families and retirees wanting to move full-time to the country" she says. "You can enjoy fabulous restaurants, shopping, and activities, or retreat to your property for peace and quiet."

There’s plenty to do in Round Top, with fine dining, fantastic art, unique shops, and great places to explore. Plus, Brenham is only 25 minutes away with the modern conveniences of Walgreens, Home Depot, and Chick-fil-A. La Grange, in the opposite direction, is only 15 minutes away with HEB, Walmart, and a great local hardware store.

When she’s not working, Plant is fully immersed in the Round Top community, serving as co-chair for the fundraising gala and as a member of the advisory board for the Fayetteville Community Center and Theater.

Here are some of her personal favorites about life in Round Top:

Where to eat & drink
“I love Round Top’s small-town feel, but with a level of sophistication that comes with wonderful restaurants,” says Plant.

A great new spot is Rabbit, Rabbit, located at Round Top Village. Right now it's only open for lunch, but its setting in a charming old house surrounded by huge live oaks is sure to make it a treasured favorite.

She also loves Lulu’s for rustic Italian fare; Boon & Company for great food, a fun bar, and shopping; The Garden Co. for its amazing farm-to-table menu; and Duo Modern at Market Hill, a 119,000-square-foot emporium of the world’s best antiques, furniture, and art.

For Tex-Mex classics it’s Mandito’s, and for gourmet comfort food, Royers is the place to be. Word to the wise: Get the pie. They’ve got a full menu page devoted to their OMPs (oh my pies).

For cocktails, Plant prefers Prost and the Ellis Motel (the Coconut Cowgirl is a vacation in a glass, she shares), and for craft beer, head to Round Top Brewing. The adorable Round Top Coffee Shop is also a morning go-to for a cup of joe.

Where to play
Plant suggests walking around the grounds and gardens of the Round Top Festival Institute, a center for learning and performances.

For shopping, browse all the goodness at Henkel Square Market — or play bocce ball there. Round Top Village has an impressive roster of stores like Richard Schmidt Jewelry and Tutu and Lilli.

Take the kids to the Round Top Family Library, housed in a former church that was moved to its current site and then restored.

Fayetteville Lake, only 20 minutes away, offers great fishing.

Attend the Round Top Film Festival, held once a year in November, with world premieres of films and activities.

What to see
“First off, I love to drive the back country roads because there are so many gorgeous areas surrounding Round Top,” says Plant.

Not to be missed is the 1,100-seat concert hall at the Round Top Festival Institute, a beautiful hidden gem.

“It’s hard to believe this world-class place exists in a town the size of 87!” adds Plant. “Every summer, they bring students and conductors from around the world for a six-week program, in addition to other performances throughout the year. It is simply amazing. Lately they have added some great Texas musicians to the lineup, such as Lyle Lovett and Ray Benson."

Where to live
In Round Top, the farmhouse takes top billing, whether it’s a traditional German style, a modern design with clean lines and board-and-batten siding, or a stone Hill Country-style home.

“Typically, you can expect wide porches to catch the breeze, lots of windows, and simple and clean lines that reflect the rural landscape,” Plant says.

A current listing of Plant's is 2130 Hartfield Rd. The five-bedroom custom home is located on 12.5 acres, only minutes from Round Top Square and down a quiet road offering lots of privacy.

The main house features two bedrooms, while tucked beneath the trees is a guest house with two more. French doors open to sunlit interiors, where a soaring beamed ceiling and floor-to-ceiling limestone fireplace create a warm ambience. The chef's kitchen, equipped with Thermador appliances, anchors the living space, while two primary suites and two ensuite guest bedrooms provide ample privacy.

Additional highlights include a formal dining room with a wine room, library with fireplace, an expansive back porch with a stone fireplace, and an oversized three-car, air-conditioned garage with its own upstairs living space and full bathroom.

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Linda Plant works and plays in Round Top. For more information on buying and selling a home in the area, click here, email linda.plant@sothebys.realty, or call 713-240-5813.

Photo courtesy of Martha Turner Sotheby's International Realty

2130 Hartfield Rd. is a current listing in Round Top.

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Home on the Range

Houston firm creates an eco-friendly escape on historic Texas tract

Courtesy of Gates Crossing

Homes at Gates Crossing average 4,000 square feet.

When Scott Frankel completed construction on his ranch property less than an hour’s drive West of Houston, the premier luxury home builder knew that the pristine wilderness surrounding the Brazos River in Washington County was something to be shared—and protected. A few years and 1,836 acres later, Frankel Design Build’s Gates Crossing development offers 40 premium ranch sites surrounding a 600-acre private game reserve.

Developed on land originally settled by Amos Gates, one of Stephen F. Austin’s “Old Three Hundred,” the property honors its past with thoughtfully-preserved landmarks, including the historic Gates-Perry Family Cemetery and partnerships with the Texas Historical Society. Frankel Design Build made a financial contribution to support the Society’s restoration of nearby Washington-on-the-Brazos and the construction of a new museum celebrating the area's foundational role in Texas statehood.

The complete restoration of the Gates-Perry Cemetery is something Frankel is particularly proud of. While not forgotten, the cemetery had fallen into disrepair, and a handful of haphazard restoration attempts failed to stand the test of time. Frankel Design Build tapped into their network of specialty masonry trades to restore the cemetery walls to their former glory. A dedication ceremony ensued, and Revolutionary War hero William Gates was honored with an America 250 grave marking, a prestigious recognition from the Daughters of the American Revolution and the Sons of the American Revolution. The four-acre cemetery and surrounding park are managed by the HOA and will never be developed.

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For a master-planned community, the word “undeveloped” gets tossed around a lot during a conversation with Frankel, who is co-president of Frankel Design Build with his brother Keven. The 40 ranch sites, ranging from 15 to 160-acres, plus Gates Reserve are the draw. Exclusive to residents, the reserve offers premier hunting, horse riding and ATV trails, a shooting range, and uninterrupted access to native wildlife and riverside terrain. Individual sites include stocked ponds for fishing, plus a larger pond site being developed in the reserve for duck hunting—those are the amenities, no fuss.

“We wanted to cut down on common areas that aren’t something that can be enjoyed on your own,” Frankel tells CultureMap. “Instead of going in and doing what a lot of people do in new neighborhoods, which is put in the token pickle ball courts, tennis courts, basketball area — or worse, a restaurant — you’re sort of going out there to not do that. There are cute towns [like Chappell Hill] that are really close, that’s where you want to be for that. You’re doing this to kind of get out of the city, but the idea is to go out there and walk around in shorts and flip-flops, it’s more of a place to not be seen.”

The surrounding natural landscape is further protected through Frankel’s environmentally-conscious building practices. The firm remains the only production builder in Texas certified under the LEED for Homes program, providing significant energy efficiency, insurance, and tax benefits to buyers while safeguarding the natural surroundings. Frankel shares that each home will be LEED certified, as long as it does not exceed the maximum size requirement, which he finds unlikely.

“It’s as sustainable of a home that can be built out there,” he explains. “It’s Mother Nature, and we need to be mindful of her needs. We’ve done a good job of creating an architectural style that’s very cohesive. We are just developing a place to be a part of, just a small gated community. It’s just a different lifestyle, and so far we’ve been able to find clients that are really catching on to it. Its been really cool.”

Each home in Gates Crossing is built through Frankel’s fully-integrated design-build process, encompassing architecture, interior design, construction, pool and outdoor living, and post-completion support through Frankel Home Care, a 24/7 concierge maintenance service powered by an intuitive digital portal. The firm also owns and operates AVEA Pools & Outdoor Living, offering design and construction for outdoor environments seamlessly aligned with each home.

“The neighborhood is really about creating a long term place, where 10 years from now — when these are family ranches — people will forget about it as a development, but they will look at it as a very successful, safe place where everything is insulated and looks harmonious.”

The newly-restored Washington-on-the-Brazos is one of Gates Crossing’s non-amenity-amenities. Known as “The Birthplace of Texas,” after the Texas Declaration of Independence was signed there on March 2, 1836 (eagle-eyed readers will note that the year matches the acreage of Gates Crossing), the Republic of Texas Complex includes a visitors center, the Star of the Republic Museum, Independence Hall, Barrington Living History Farm, and so much more.

“The people who run it are fantastic,” says Frankel. “These are archeologists and historians who have been out there and are basically rebuilding the town square, it’s unbelievable. What they are doing will become a real attraction, like The Alamo.”

Ranch sites begin at $850,000. Two speculative homes have been completed and are priced at $3,150,000. The main showhouse has been thoughtfully decorated by Houston interior designer Alexandra Killion, and potential buyers can set up viewing appointments with Samantha Medve, Medve Real Estate LLC (sam@gatescrossing.com) and Courtney Robertson, Compass Real Estate (courtney@gatescrossing.com).

Courtesy of Gates Crossing

Homes at Gates Crossing average 4,000 square feet.

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