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In 1835, Parmenas Briscoe, of Mississippi, purchased the original tract of
land upon which Briscoe Manor now sits. Recognized for its rustic charm and
sophisticated event services and venue, Briscoe Manor has been in the making for
over one hundred seventy years.
The original tract of land, encompassing 4,605 acres, was purchased from
William Andrus, an attorney and one of Stephen F. Austin’s first colonists,
for the grand total of $3,089.25. Located in the area now known as Fort
Bend County, the tract of land stretched north from the Brazos River to the
sandy prairie land south of Katy.
In 1838, Parmenas passed the land on to his son, James Montgomery Briscoe.
That same year, James and his wife, Susan Mason, traveled to Texas and built
a home on the property and began building a large plantation which farmed
cotton and corn.
The Briscoe plantation was farmed through the late 1930’s and was transformed
into a commercial cattle operation following the Depression. Through
the 1940’s, 1950’s and 1960’s the Briscoe Ranch produced
thousands of beef cattle for the US market. In the 1970’s, Houston’s
growth began encroaching on the ranch land and certain tracts of land were
sold. Today, cattle are still raised on the remaining tracts and the
last homestead, constructed in1898, is still occupied by a Briscoe descendent.
Briscoe Manor's Texas legacy has been far from lost, but rather invented—with
rooms and outdoor areas of the venue named after family members. The limestone
walls often remind guests of the Briscoe Castle, the family's original settlement
in Crofton County, Cumberland, England. Today, the castle's only remnants
are the sandstone Coat of Arms, which the family salvaged and brought to the
Briscoe family cemetery just north of Briscoe Manor.
The modern-day story picks up in the fall of 2004, when the Briscoe family
chose to share the spirit and history of their elegant estate with others.
Under the talented hand of property owners Bill Mahler and Jorden Mahler and
Briscoe's Executive Director Jennifer Lowrance, the family's heritage has
blossomed into a well-respected full-service event venue, helping others create
memorable moments of their own.
True Elegance. True Heritage. Briscoe Manor - continuing our legacy.
 
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