For generations, the Bryson family has played a role in building the Leander community, and with the development of a housing subdivision honoring the family legacy, the Bryson name will continue to be known by future generations.


Bryson is a residential master-planned community being developed by Crescent Communities near the intersection of Toll 183A and San Gabriel Parkway. Consisting of 490 acres of residential and mixed-use property, the developer has plans to include more than 1,500 homesites, a connected trail system, parks and a resident center with swimming pools and outdoor living spaces, said Tommy Tucker, vice president of Austin-based Crescent Communities.


“We love the pioneering spirit [and] just the fact that [the Brysons] have done so much for the area over the last 150 years,” Tucker said.




Bryson Bryson, developed by Crescent Communities, is located near Toll 183A and San Gabriel Parkway and is planned for more than 1,500 homesites.[/caption]

J.C. and Nancy Bryson first came to Central Texas from North Carolina in 1872. The original part of their homestead, which is located nearby on private land, became a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1970, according to Texas Historical Commission records.


The home designs available at Bryson, offered by four different homebuilders, are reminiscent of the area’s historic farmhouses.


“Through our ... agreement with the city of Leander, we were able to get an allowance ... to build farmhouse- and craftsman-style homes,” Tucker said.


Bobby Bryson, a great-grandson of J.C. and Nancy, said the decision to use the family’s name for the development has significance because he and his sons are the last of the Bryson family men.


“I [thanked] Tommy [Tucker] … for naming that subdivision Bryson, to carry the ... name on, because it was fixing to die out.”


Born on the family’s property in 1930, Bobby said he remembers what life was like on the farm, where his family raised sheep, hogs and various crops, including cotton once a gin was established north of town.


As a child, Bobby’s responsibilities included caring for the sheep in the wintertime.


“I would put out hay for them,” he said. “Then I’d go around the pasture on my bicycle to make sure all the sheep were in. … I was 9 years old before we got electricity ... We never did have a bathroom in the house. We had one water faucet, in the kitchen,” said Bobby, who still lives in Leander with his wife, Pat.


Pat Bryson served as the mayor of Leander from 1980-90, and dealt with many challenges, including the availability of water for residents.


When she took office, the city’s residents relied on well water, which was unpredictable, Pat said.


In December, Leander ISD purchased land within Bryson for a future elementary school, LISD senior communication specialist Jennifer Bailey said.


“But the timing of when the school will be built all depends on the future growth that takes place in the northern part of the district,” Bailey said.


Getting acquainted with neighbors may look different at Bryson, where activities such as poolside movie nights and wine tastings will be planned for interested residents by a full-time lifestyle director.


But being neighborly is part of the legacy of the land, Bobby said.


“I look at the Brysons as ambassadors of the project,” Tucker said. “From a historical perspective, their input has been invaluable.”


Welcome Center
501 Chitalpa St., Leander
512-259-1035
www.liveatbryson.com
www.facebook.com/liveatbryson
Hours: Sun. noon-5 p.m., Mon. noon-6 p.m., Tue.-Sat. 10 a.m.-6 p.m.