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Historic structures on the grounds of the Tomball Museum Center.

The historic wooden Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church on the grounds of the Tomball Museum Center was once a focal point of the Neudorf community southwest of Tomball. Completed about 1905, the church, along with its original furnishings, was moved to the museum center in 1973.

Historic structures on the grounds of the Tomball Museum Center.

Henry Reid, president of the Spring Creek County Historical Association, on the porch of the historic Griffin House, the first building to be added to the grounds of the Tomball Museum Center.

The barn on the grounds of the Tomball Museum Center is one of only two structures on the site that do not date back to a historic era. It was built in 1969 to house a collection of early farming tools, equipment and a one-horse gin from the 1870s.

The gazebo on the grounds of the Tomball Museum Center is one of only two structures on the site that do not date back to a historic era.

A hand-operated gas pump sits outside the Oil Camp House as part of an exhibit portraying life in the old Humble oil field during the 1930s and 1940s at a time when Tomball was dubbed Oil Town, U.S.A.

A horse-head pump jack and water-well drill sits outside the Oil Camp House as part of an exhibit portraying life in the old Humble oil field during the 1930s and 1940s at a time when Tomball was dubbed Oil Town, U.S.A.

A wellhead from a discovery well in the Tomball area sits outside the Oil Camp House as part of an exhibit portraying life in the old Humble oil field during the 1930s and 1940s at a time when Tomball was dubbed Oil Town, U.S.A.

A water-well drill and pumper’s office known as a doghouse sit outside the Oil Camp House as part of an exhibit portraying life in the old Humble oil field during the 1930s and 1940s at a time when Tomball was dubbed Oil Town, U.S.A.

Portraits of Edmond Griffin and his daughter Ruth adorn the walls of the Griffin House on the grounds of the Tomball Museum Center. The Griffin family donated the building to the center.

Henry Reid, president of the Spring Creek County Historical Association, displays a china cabinet in the dining room of the historic Griffin House, the first building to be added to the grounds of the Tomball Museum Center.

Henry Reid, president of the Spring Creek County Historical Association, displays a couch in the sitting room of the historic Griffin House, the first building to be added to the grounds of the Tomball Museum Center.

Henry Reid, president of the Spring Creek County Historical Association, displays a cabinet used for storing eggs in the kitchen of the historic Griffin House, the first building to be added to the grounds of the Tomball Museum Center.

Henry Reid, president of the Spring Creek County Historical Association, displays a stereo-optic viewing device in the historic Griffin House, the first building to be added to the grounds of the Tomball Museum Center.

Henry Reid, president of the Spring Creek County Historical Association, displays a wash stand and basin in master bedroom of the historic Griffin House, the first building to be added to the grounds of the Tomball Museum Center.

A collection of toys from the 1950s, donated by Magdalene Charlton is on display at the historic Griffin House, the first building to be added to the grounds of the Tomball Museum Center.

A collection of toys from the 1950s, donated by Magdalene Charlton is on display at the historic Griffin House, the first building to be added to the grounds of the Tomball Museum Center.

Time travel might be the stuff of science fiction, but visitors to the Tomball Museum Center might be forgiven for feeling that they’ve left the fast-paced modern world for a visit to a past era.

Located at the end of a shady street just a few blocks from Tomball’s busy downtown traffic, the museum center boasts 13 free-standing structures, each one offering a glimpse into the every-day history of the town, the North Harris County region and the state of Texas.

Most of the museum’s exhibits date from the period stretching from the late 1800s to the early 1900s, said Henry Reid, president of the Spring Creek County Historical Association, which owns and operates the museum complex.

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“We tried to concentrate around that era and save the heritage of the locals in the area,” Reid said.

In the 19th century, the area in and around Tomball was largely settled by German immigrants, who established farms, sawmills, businesses and homes. The descendants of many of those early settlers still live in the area “and they’re still very much involved in the town,” Reid said.

In 1961, a group of local leaders got together to develop a plan to preserve the region’s rapidly disappearing historic structures and artifacts. They formed the historic association as a 501-C nonprofit organization and began working to acquire representative structures to serve as permanent landmarks that could be viewed by future generations of residents.

The first building acquired was the Griffin House, built in 1860 by Eugene Pillot, an early Texas lumberman and builder. Pillot built the house near the Atascosito Trail, a portion of which appears to coincide with present-day Boudreaux Road, south of Tomball. A French immigrant, Pillot was well-known as an architect and builder throughout southeastern Texas. He built the Opera House in Galveston and many of the original office buildings in Houston. A historic Pillot-built house, similar to the one at the Tomball Museum, is on display in a park behind City Hall in downtown Houston, Reid said.

Reid said before it was donated to the museum, the structure that would become known as the Griffin House had fallen into disrepair over the years and at one point had been used as a barn to store hay.

The last owner of the house was Edmond Griffin, whose daughter, Ruth Griffin McCourt, donated the home to the historical association in 1965. Two community leaders, Judge George Charlton and his daughter, Magdalene, worked to establish the home as the anchor building for the museum center and in 1969 it was moved to its current location.

In keeping with the historic theme of the museum, the rooms of the Griffin House are decorated with the quality of late 19th century artifacts that could be found in the home of a prosperous family of that period.

Over the next several decades, the historical association continued to acquire historic structures. Most of the buildings on the grounds were originally built during the late 1800s to the early 1900s.

A log house and corn crib, which the association acquired in 1989, is the oldest surviving structure. The cabin, which was dates from the Wendish settlement of Serbin south of the current city of Giddings around 1857, represents the type of home commonly built by pioneers in wooded areas of Texas

The Theis House presented to the museum by descendants of the Theis family, is a farmhouse typical of those seen throughout Texas in the middle 1800s. Unlike the Griffin House, the Theis House displays simple artifacts likely to be found in the homes of hardworking farm families of the period.

Representing a more recent historic period, the Oil Camp House, added to the museum’s collection in 1998, is the heart of an exhibit portraying life in the old Humble oil field during the 1930s and 1940s at a time when Tomball was dubbed Oil Town, U.S.A. The outdoor display features two original wellheads from discovery wells in the Tomball area, an original pumper’s office known as a doghouse, a hand-operated gas pump, a horse-head pump jack and a water drilling rig.

The only structures on the museum grounds that were not built years ago are the barn and the gazebo. The association built the barn in 1969 to house a collection of early farming tools, equipment and a one-horse gin, from the 1870s. The two-story gin, which was owned and operated by the Wuensche family in nearby Spring, is believed to be one of only two animal-powered gins still in existence in the state.

Other historical vehicles on display in the barn include a steel-wheel tractor, horse-drawn fire wagon and a chuck wagon. Exhibits include a blacksmith shop and a display of clothes-washing technologies, from a boiling kettle, to a wash tub with scrub board, to a washing machine driven by a 2-cycle engine.

The museum was forced to close its doors for a time in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, although the maintenance staff continued to keep the buildings in good repair throughout that period, Reid said.

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“We reopened about a year ago, when things got back to normal, although we did require masks for a while,” he said.

As a privately funded organization, the historical association is always on the lookout for sources of revenue to keep the museum in operation.

“We do get some funding from the city, but not nearly enough to keep us in operation. We’re depend on donations,” Reid said.

In addition, the association receives some funding from donated oil-well production royalties and from an annual grant from ExxonMobil corporation. Another source of funds comes from renting out some of the museum’s facilities for special events such as weddings and high school graduations.

A popular site for weddings is the Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church. The historic wooden church, once a focal point of the Neudorf community southwest of Tomball, was completed about 1905. Along with its original furnishings, it was moved to the museum center in 1973.

“If they use the fellowship hall for changing clothes, we throw that in with the wedding charge. But if they want to use it for a reception, there’s a separate charge,” Reid said.

Guided group tours provide another revenue stream.

“We charge $5 a head to have a docent here to show you around,” he said.

Reid said that in another fundraising project this year, the museum will feature a silent auction as part of its biggest annual event, the holiday-themed Candlelight Tour. Participants will be able to bid on donated items that represent bygone eras and a generous furniture maker will donate a new rocking chair produced in the same style of those used by settlers in the 1800s.

As in previous years, this year’s Candlelight Tour, to be held in the second week of December, will also feature favorite attractions, including living history lessons at each exhibit, children’s choirs singing carols and shows in the barn showcasing live bluegrass music and a visit from Santa Clause.

Throughout the rest of the year, the museum opens its doors to provide educational programs for local schoolchildren at no charge. Schools are invited to contact the museum to set up guided tours for their students. “They can bring two or three classes over, we’ll set up with a docent in every house,” Reid said. “We open our doors to them whenever they want.”

In addition, the historical association offers an ongoing docent training program and is always looking for volunteers who want to share their love of the region’s history with others.

The Tomball Museum Center is open for tours from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesdays and Saturdays and from 2 to 4 p.m. on Sundays.

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