"The Mariposa Ranch is a special place - the home of a special butterfly with angel's wings to brush our hearts." 
D.N. Livingston, TX

"You seem so at ease and at the same time excited with what you are doing. We hope you'll still be here 100 years from now!" 
--J.K. San Antonio, TX

"Thanks for your warm hospitality and tasty French toast and thanks you for having the wonderful vision of Mariposa!"
G.B. Houston, TX

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Background of the Owners

Owned and operated by Dr. Charles and Johnna Chamberlain, Mariposa Ranch, a 100 acre spread, is rich in history and tradition as colorful as the bluebonnets that purple the hills each spring. 

Johnna Reinauer Chamberlain was raised in Oklahoma City and lived in Houston for 20 years before retiring from a thriving personnel business and moving to Brenham in 1989 with her husband. Her special interests include cooking, traveling, golfing, and collecting antiques. She has a unique ability to make you feel like family from the minute you enter the ranch. 

Dr. Charles Chamberlain practiced General and Vascular Surgery in the Houston Medical Center for 25 years. In 1989, he and Johnna moved to Brenham to realize their dream of owning a bed and breakfast. Charles has a vast knowledge of Texas history and is a collector of vintage Texana maps and rare books. He is a Director of the Texas Ranger Association Foundation, raises registered Brangus cattle and loves golf. The couple has 9 children and eight (at the moment) grandchildren. 

History of Mariposa Ranch
                        By Mary Reinauer

In early March bluebonnets begin to blanket the hills of the south central Texas town of Brenham. Driving along FM 390, the "La Bahia Trail", (first historical highway named in Texas) visitors take in the green vista of live oaks and the latticework elegance of plantation homes built in the prosperous era between 1834 and 1865.

In days past, one of the early travelers of the La Bahia Trail was Stephen F. Austin, bringing the first settlers to Texas. Sam Houston, after signing the Texas Declaration of Independence at Washington-on-the-Brazos, about 10 minutes from Mariposa, rode the trail on his way to take command of the Texas Army at Gonzales. Another early pilgrim who passed the site of Mariposa Ranch was a young man from Tennessee named Davy Crockett. 

Crockett stood a muscular six-foot-tall, with a reputation for the gift of gab. He stopped in to visit a family, the Swishers, whose homestead is just down the road from Mariposa. Young John Swisher wrote about his family's memorable guest in his journal. "He had an ease and grace about him. He told us great anecdotes. Many of them were commonplace and amounted to nothing in themselves, but his intimidating way of telling them would convulse one with laughter. I shall never forget the day he left us for San Antonio. We watched him as he rode away with feelings of admiration and regret."

Today when visitors visit the banks of Little Rocky Creek, Sam Houston's watery revival spot, many halt for a moment of reverent silence at the historical marker there. Located near Mariposa Ranch, the marker bears proof that Sam Houston was immersed and baptized in the cool clear waters of the creek on November 19, 1854. When he raised Sam from the water, so local folks report, Reverend Washington Burleson said, "Well General, your sins have been washed away." As the story goes, Houston turned to the preacher and said, "If that be the case, God help the poor fish below." At the Independence Baptist Church, located one mile from the spot, Burleson's modern day successor, Revered Strickland, says he still conducts baptisms on that very spot in Rocky Creek right among the lily pads.

Co-host of Mariposa, Charles Chamberlain, ex-Houston surgeon, hails from San Antonio. It is there, as a boy in the 1930's, that his life-long love affair with the history of the short-lived republic of Texas began. On the lawns of the Alamo, young Charles listened to the accounts of old-timers and members of his family who were Confederate veterans, trail-drivers, roughriders, and Texas Rangers. Their tales of bravery were told in reverence. Tales of struggle and perseverance. Tales that would provide him inspiration throughout his life. When, in relative semi-retirement, he left the bustle of Houston for the gentler pace of a small town doctor that allowed him and Johnna to pursue the dream of Mariposa. The couple conceived Mariposa when they were courting. Charles lived on a rented 80 acre parcel he dubbed "Little Fork", after the bend of Little Rocky Creek that ran through it. It was at this precise spot on Chamberlain's rented land that Sam Houston was baptized. On any given Sunday, Charles could see white-robed believers from across Texas join the flock. From their numbers, he knew he was not the only Texas history buff in the area. He saw an opportunity to serve that interest. 

The Chamberlains, who strive to preserve the spirit and history of the era for their guests, took reverence for the spot to a more interpersonal level. They were married at Little Fork, on the banks of Little Rocky Creek. The couple lived there for two years while they looked for the ranch they would call Mariposa. They had the dream…all they needed was the location to make their dream come true. They loved the historical perspective of Little Fork, but the parcel fell short of Johnna and Charles' exacting standards for the lay of the land that would fulfill their dream. When they found the 100-acre ranch they knew their baby was in gestation. Foregoing the shelter of the old ranch homestead and despite cold temperatures, the couple camped on the hilltop spot where the main house would be erected. Charles broke ground with his pocketknife and the couple toasted with champagne, then buried the cork on the land now christened Mariposa, which is the Spanish word for butterfly. 

Now that Johnna's kids were grown, she too was eager to wind down from her hectic pace of commuting to her thriving personnel agency in Houston. What Johnna wanted now was to create a new lifestyle that would merge her long-held wish for a bed and breakfast enterprise with Charles' fascination with Texas independence era history. Over the next few years the ranch came to embrace the couple's dream of combining a home, a working ranch, and a bed and breakfast steeped in history, echoing the era of Texas independence. 

New construction methods would be necessary for ease of function, but the wish to portray Texas history in the dwelling conflicted with modern form. That challenge was overcome when Johnna found an 1860 home in the heart of Brenham's oldest residential area. The Chamberlains adopted the house and took it home to the top of the hill that had become Mariposa Ranch. It was a typical "shotgun house" so named because it was said one could fire a shotgun through the front door and it could exit out the back door without hitting a thing. Long and straight, with an extended foyer plus a bedroom flanking either side, it became the perfect shell for the main house, which would serve as the Chamberlain's residence and provide historically minded guests with the Brazos Room and the Tejas Room.

Mariposa Ranch contains plenty of history with its eclectic congregation of dwellings. They range from the splendor of the main house to the rugged functional beauty of an early 1820's log cabin, a two-story Greek Revival home, circa 1836, built by Dr. George Red, a pioneer physician, and a turn-of-the-century Texas farmhouse, all furnished in fine period antiques.

As the dream was continuing to come true other cottages, cabins, and houses were added, to bring the capacity of Mariposa to 44 guests. "We have guests just about every day of the year, except when we have our kids and grandkids come for a family reunion", said Johnna. "We always have extra room, so the grand-kids are welcome to bring well-behaved guests. I always read our brochure to the kids, saying, "well-behaved children are welcome", and I imply that any not up to code will be sleeping in the barn! It always works, even after they see the set-up there, which is actually pretty nice." Indeed once when all accommodations were occupied during Round Top's weeklong antique festival held annually in April, a "sweet talking" mom and her daughter ended up staying there. "They were begging for anything we had", said Johnna. "Michael, our caretaker, offered to stay with friends so that these people from out of town could have a room. They took him up on the offer and they loved it. At breakfast on their last day here, they told the other guests they had renamed their room in the barn, the Jesus, Mary, & Joseph Suite, since there had been no room at the inn!"

Whether seeking history or just a get-away, there's a wide range of accommodations to choose from at Mariposa Ranch. "The Texas Ranger Cabin is one of the most requested options", said Johnna, "but most repeat guests make a point to try out all eleven rooms!"

The Texas Ranger Cabin is an authentic 1820 log cabin complete with a huge stone fireplace with a hook and crane, wood cook stove, queen sleeper sofa, claw foot tub and shower, and an upstairs loft with a queen size bed. "The log cabin has been the setting for many romantic get-aways", says Johnna. "Once we had a young man call to make a reservation saying his dream was to propose to his girlfriend in a romantic and historic site. We quickly decided the Texas Ranger Cabin would be perfect for this occasion. Between the two of us we came up with an the idea of setting up the "Enchanted Evening" which includes champagne, roses, candlelight." "He had me hide the engagement ring in a small box of gourmet chocolates. The next morning, as they came to the main house for breakfast, the bride-to-be was glowing and said that her dream of being proposed to in the most romantic setting she could possibly think of had indeed come true."

Another popular choice for honeymooners is the Fern Oaks Cottage. Nestled under live oak trees dripping with "Resurrection Fern" it has a fireplace, cozy porch, a queen size bed and a Jacuzzi-for-two. "The ferns are almost invisible", Johnna explained, "until it rains and they revive from the moisture and turn fluffy and bright green." The cottage is one of the few Mariposa options not large enough for a family.

Guests opting to stay in the main house can choose from the Tejas Room or the Brazos Room. Tejas is Spanish for "friend" and is the original word for "Texas". The Tejas Room has one queen bed size bed and a private bath with antique claw foot tub. The Brazos Room features an antique queen-size bed plus a twin-size bed. The antique bed in the Brazos is from the late 1800's and has a small bullet hole that all of our guests are most curious about. The Chamberlains have no idea how the bullet hole got there, but suggest to guest that they make up a fun story to go back home and tell. Johnna has said that many of her guests who stay in the main house are intrigued with the décor and ask for tips to adapt their own homes in the same way. The main house at Mariposa is furnished in what the Chamberlain's call "functional Victorian", as it marries modern comforts such as TV's, VCR's, and microwaves, with the understated lacy elegance and antique furniture in a way that preserves the overall look as authentic Victorian. 

The Independence House is an 1836 two-story Greek Revival home containing two luxurious suites, Sam Houston Suite and Davy Crockett Quarters. Each suite has two fireplaces, a bedroom, sitting room, and bath with claw foot tubs and bidets. Sam Houston's Suite occupies the second story and has a king size canopy bed and a sitting area with a trundle set. With its 10 large windows and pale peach walls, it provides one of the most peaceful vistas on the spread. In the daytime, the stunning play of light streaming through the branches of the live oaks cast swaying shadows on the walls. In natural light, the burnished oak mantels contrast the soft tones of peach to the effect of utter tranquility. Davy Crockett's Quarters has original wood floors and ceilings with exposed beams giving it a rustic and cozy feeling. An antique queen size bed adorns the bedroom while a trundle set makes relaxing easy in the sitting area. 

The Homestead, a completely restored turn-of-the-century Texas farmhouse, is the original homestead of the ranch and where we serve our guests breakfast each morning. In it are the Stephen F. Austin Room and the William B. Travis Room. Both have private baths. The Austin Suite has a queen size bed and a twin bed. The Travis Room has a queen-size bed with adjoining bathroom.

Still in the planning stages is the restored office of Dr. Red, a Civil Wartime country doctor. During Dr. Red's days in practice, La Bahia was a contraband route used to smuggle goods, horses, mules, and cattle.

Mariposa's guests won't have to smuggle their treasures home, but what they do leave with is perhaps almost as important to them as supplies once were to the Confederate Army. What better anecdote to the end of summer blahs and winter blues than a vacation that comes home and makes your every dream come true? Mariposa Ranch, with its elixir of bed and breakfast hospitality mixed with a healthy dose of Texas independence era history, might be just what the doctor ordered. 

To get there, go one half mile east of Highway 36 North (toward Somerville from Brenham), on FM 390, La Bahia Road. For reservations and more information, call or write Johnna and Charles Chamberlain, toll free (877) 647-4774 or (979) 836-4737.

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Mariposa Ranch Bed and Breakfast
Innkeepers: Johnna & Charles Chamberlain
8904 Mariposa Lane  ~  Brenham, Texas (TX)  77833
Telephone: (979) 836-4737  ~ or  ~  Fax: (979) 836-2565 ~ or ~ Toll Free: (877)647-4774
email: info@mariposaranch.com  ~  website: Brenham Texas Bed and Breakfast