Need somewhere to board your 18 horses? Try this $12M historic Texas ranch

Douglas Elliman’s latest listing is a storied equestrian estate once owned bya hero of the Alamo

Erastus “Deaf” Smith with 23494 State Highway 46 West (Texas State Historical Association, Zillow, iStock)
Erastus “Deaf” Smith with 23494 State Highway 46 West (Texas State Historical Association, Zillow, iStock)

Ranches may be a dime a dozen in Texas, but few have three horse barns and ties to a Texas Revolutionary hero.

Named for the small creek that flows through the land, which once served as a water source for nearby indigenous tribes, Indian Creek Farm is the latest listing from Douglas Elliman.

Located off State Highway 46, the 164-acre equestrian estate is going for almost $12 million, though the Hill Country property’s 2021 tax appraisal valued it at around $1.2 million.

Originally established in the mid-nineteenth century as a German settlement, it was eventually part of the 655 acres gifted to Erastus “Deaf” Smith by the Republic of Texas for his service in the Texas Revolution. During the Battle of the Alamo, Smith was a courier for William B. Travis, who considered him “the Bravest of the Brave,” according to a letter retrieved by the ​​Texas State Library and Archives Commission. Deaf Smith County and Travis County are named respectively for the Texas revolutionaries.

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Today, it’s home to two national champion horses, On Cue and Tsetserleg.

Though some of the original walls from this settlement and cemetery are still intact, the main house was built in 1997 on top of the 9-stall barn that also includes office and laundry space. While the ground floor still has the original stone walls from the 1865 sheep barn, the three-bedroom apartment above is kitted out with modern marble countertops in the kitchen.

Right next to the main house is the Kabelmacher House which retains its historic designation in the national register, according to the listing. The four-bedroom standalone house has a pool in the front with an outdoor kitchen and a cabana.

The property is open to commercial and residential buyers in the market for jumping and dressage facilities. However, any prospective buyers with 20 or more horses should look elsewhere as the barns only offer a total of 18 stalls.

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