The Giddings-Stone Mansion can host weddings, receptions, holiday parties, lunches, dinners and meetings, for up to 165 guests at a seated dinner or 200 at a buffet indoors, and up to 1,000 on the grounds. The house stands in Brenham, the seat of Washington County, Texas, and is rented out by the Heritage Society of Washington County.
Seminars and company events
The mansion lists meetings, lunches, dinners and holiday parties among its rentals, which makes it a fit for a company end-of-year party, a board lunch or a client dinner in a historic setting rather than a hotel ballroom. With eleven rooms spread over two floors, groups can split between a dining room and quieter rooms for side conversations. The lawns can take a company picnic or a summer gathering for several hundred people, and a tent can be added to extend seating.
Weddings and receptions
Weddings are the core of the rental program. Ceremonies and receptions can take place inside the house, on the front veranda or on the lawn, and the mansion has dressing suites for the bride and for the groom and their parties. Bridal showers, baby showers, afternoon teas and family gatherings are also on the list, so the house can serve the events around a wedding as well as the day itself.
Rooms and capacities
The mansion has eleven rooms and five bathrooms, with verandas wrapping most of the house on both levels. Indoors, it seats up to 165 guests for dinner or takes up to 200 for a buffet. Outdoors, the grounds, the lawn and the front veranda can hold up to 1,000 guests, and a tent can increase covered seating. The verandas give guests shaded space to move outside between courses or speeches.
History and setting
The house was built in 1870 in the Greek Revival style and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. For close to 150 years it has been a place where people of the region gather for celebrations. The Heritage Society of Washington County, which also cares for the Giddings-Wilkin House, keeps the mansion open to visitors and to rentals, so booking an event here also supports the upkeep of a listed building.
Getting there
Brenham is in the rolling country of Washington County, between Houston and Austin, which places the mansion within reach of guests from both cities for a day event. The Heritage Society office is at 2203 Century Circle in Brenham, and rentals are handled through its rentals team. Guests coming from farther away usually fly into one of the two cities and drive the rest of the way, so planning shuttles or carpools is useful for larger weddings.
