A rustic stone cottage on an estate close to the Texas State Railroad.
A rustic stone cottage, a quiet retreat, a romantic getaway - whatever you call it, it's a little piece of heaven nestled in the tall trees of East Texas. It's so close to the Texas State Railroad you can hear the gentle call of the steam whistle. A 4-acre lake is just waiting for you to reel in your bass, or perhaps you'd like to help your son or daughter enjoy catching their first sunfish or crappie on a cane pole from the available pier. There's even a mini-pontoon peddle boat for exploring the lake or for another way to catch the "big one"! Bird Cottage is well named because of all the various species of birds native to the area that as bird lovers we often enjoy, so don't forget your binoculars and camera if you are a bird watcher, too. If you just want to escape all the noise, traffic and bustle of the city and need to recharge your batteries, then relax on the soft cushions of the metal gliders under porch fans with a gentle breeze blowing through your hair and with a good book in your hand and a wine glass nearby, or oversleep in the cozy bedroom until the birds wake you to another wonderful day. You'll feel at home when you breathe in the fresh pine scented air should you decide to take a stroll on the grounds or even jog to the end of the 1-mile county road and back. Participating in local activities and festivals, taking a one-hour trip to Canton for First Monday antique and curio shopping, or picking up fresh produce from local farmer's markets may just be what you’re longing to do, and Bird Cottage can be your starting point for those adventures and more. However you decide you’d like to spend your time here, we’ll do our best to make your stay as care free and special as possible. And, if you have a special request, just ask. Now what are you waiting for? Let’s start making memories!
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Amenities
Kitchen
Washing machine
Dryer
Pet-friendly
Free WiFi
Air conditioning
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Events allowed: family gatherings, birthday parties, weddings
Picnic pavilion available for additional fee.
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Pets
Pets allowed: dogs less than 9 kg per pet (limit 2 pets total)
We prefer small to medium pets with 2 as a maximum
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Smoking
Smoking is not permitted
This is a strict NO SMOKING property.
Important information
You need to know
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
Parties and events (including family gatherings, birthday parties and weddings) are allowed on site. Maximum attendees: 80
Note from host: Picnic pavilion available for additional fee.
Host has indicated that there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property
Host has indicated that there is a smoke detector on the property
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher and a first aid kit
We should mention
A car is required for transport to and from this property
About the area
Palestine
Located in Palestine, this cottage is in the city centre and on a lake. Anderson County Courthouse and Palestine Community Theatre are local landmarks, and the area's natural beauty can be seen at Green Park and Davey Dogwood Park. Discover the area's water adventures with water tubing and fishing nearby, or enjoy the great outdoors with cycling and hiking/biking trails.
Texas State Railroad: Palestine Depot - 6 min drive - 3.7 km
Anderson County Courthouse - 9 min drive - 9.2 km
Redlands Hotel - 10 min drive - 9.6 km
Green Park - 11 min drive - 11.1 km
University of Texas at Tyler Palestine Campus - 13 min drive - 12.9 km
Getting around
Tyler, TX (TYR-Pounds Regional) - 57 min drive
Restaurants
McDonald's - 8 min drive
Chick-fil-A - 8 min drive
Taco Bell - 8 min drive
Whataburger - 8 min drive
Smoothie King - 8 min drive
Frequently asked questions
Is A rustic stone cottage on an estate close to the Texas State Railroad. pet-friendly?
Yes, this property allows dogs (limit 2 total) with a maximum weight of up to 9 kg per pet. Some restrictions may apply, so please contact the property for more details.
What time is check-in at A rustic stone cottage on an estate close to the Texas State Railroad.?
Check-in begins at 4:00 PM.
What time is check-out at A rustic stone cottage on an estate close to the Texas State Railroad.?
Checkout is at 11:00 AM.
Where is A rustic stone cottage on an estate close to the Texas State Railroad. located?
Located in the heart of Palestine, this cottage is 1.8 mi (2.9 km) from Texas State Railroad: Palestine Depot and within 6 miles (10 km) of Anderson County Courthouse and Palestine Community Theatre. Redlands Hotel and Green Park are also within 9 miles (15 km).
Reviews
10
Exceptional
Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.
We recently stayed at this Cottage in early Springtime when the TX mountain laurel were in bloom. It’s beautiful and the owners have every detail covered for a wonderful stay. Thank you and we are looking forward to another time.
We went to ride the train and found a heavenly oasis.
I’ve been to many places that promise solitude but you never really feel it, you DEFINITELY will here. So quiet, so beautiful. I will definitely come back if nothing else just to stay here.
Bird Cottage was the perfect sanctuary for our wedding anniversary! Roland and Susan could not have been more accommodating! We look forward to returning soon!
This home is well taken care of by the couple who actually built it for their own use.They have made a lovely property for guests to visit and share its amenities. Our grandkids loved the pond and visiting their chicken coop.
Loved this property! The hosts were very friendly and accommodating! This was a great get-away cabin! Hiking at Davey Dogwood park was awesome, and we also hiked in Tyler state part which was about an hour away. Downtown Palestine has some good cafes and a few antique shopping stores. It was a perfect mini-vacation and get away from the big city. Would definitely recommend to family and friends.
Bird Cottage is adorable and the owners are friendly. It’s located on their main home property but we never felt uncomfortable. They are very welcoming. Our kids played ball in the yard, fished the lake, took out the boat and fed the chickens. The cottage is clean and well stocked. The beds are comfy too! Excellent place to stay especially if you’re going to the Texas Railroad.
My two adult children stayed with us here for Thanksgiving and it was wonderful. The cottage is simply darling and has everything we needed. The kitchen is amply supplied, the living area cozy and comfortable; and we loved using the fireplace that cold weekend. Beds are very comfortable and all the decorative bird touches to make it truly Bird Cottage were charming. It is set on a gorgeous piece of property that is delightful to roam. Our hosts were so welcoming and helpful, even when we had a medical emergency. Also very close to the Texas State Railroad which was so convenient Polar Express was AMAZING . Small note: The spiral staircase to the upstairs sleeping soft is quite small and tricky, but even my hefty adult son managed it. Many thanks to our hosts for a tour of the property and a delightful stay.
My husband, our boys (5 & 11), and I stayed at this beautiful cottage for our trip to the Polar Express train ride (which is conveniently less than 5 mins away), and had a wonderful time! This cottage reminded me of something you would have found in a storybook! It was just perfect and lovely. The pictures show just the way it is. The cottage was clean and had everything we needed to cook meals. Roland and Susan were such a pleasure to meet and chat with. I thank them for sharing such a wonderful place with others! What a blessing! We enjoyed walking around the estate and our boys got to enjoy the paddle boat. And our boys loved loved the the spiral staircase and the loft bedroom! The first floor bedroom, I didn’t notice in the pics, but the canopy bed frame has beautiful cast iron birds, such a beautiful detail!! All beds were comfy. The bathroom had a towel warmer, nice touch! And we had freshly baked banana muffins on our arrival. I could really go on and on about this beautiful place, but it should be experienced in person! Fall colors were absolutely stunning in this area of Texas, best I’ve seen in the state! We will return :)
The cabin was perfect in every way and the property was absolutely breathtaking!
Roland and Susan greeted me upon arrival and went above and beyond to make my stay enjoyable. They even added little sweet touches like mini Bundt cakes and orange juice, so I had breakfast the next morning.
The cabin is adorable and has some extra plush amenities such as a resort style extra-large stone shower and towel warmer.
There is a large covered porch that wraps around the cabin so you can sit and look at the extremely well maintained landscape to the front and side of the cabin and the beautiful white cows on the back side.
Susan and Roland allowed me to roam around the property so I walked down to the lake on both days I was there. It was so peaceful and calming. The lake is only a 3 minute walk from the cabin and you can walk through the shade trees and landscape so it truly felt as though I was at a resort but all by myself as it is very private.
I went to Palestine for a family wedding and had never thought of going back but after meeting Susan and Roland and staying at their precious cabin I will for sure go back for some peaceful time as much as I possibly can!!!
My granddaughter and I just returned from a visit to Palestine and I stay at Bird Cottage. The setting is so peaceful and beautiful, the hosts are so welcoming and friendly, everything was just perfect.
The bird cottage and property could not have been lovelier. We had everything we needed, and the cottage was spotless. The grounds were absolutely lovely, and the owners were wonderful. We felt as though the rest of the world just melted away, and so did our cares. We really enjoyed sitting on the porch just watching and listening to all of the birds.
We enjoyed the property, cabin, and the surrounding area so-o-o much. The cabin was beautiful, comfortable and so well equipped for our stay. Completely exceeded our expectations which were already pretty high after viewing the picture online.
We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to the Bird House! In fact, my kids keep asking, “Can we go to the Bird House?!” We had a lovely stay. The property was beautiful! I am a nature lover, so I was captivated by the magnificent trees and stocked pond. We caught a lot of fish, and we were even able to feed the chickens and collect eggs, and pick fresh berries off the vine behind the cottage. The inside of the house was decorated beautifully, and the stylistic, homey, country, and southern charm were the icing on the cake. They even baked fresh muffins and provided fresh-squeezed orange juice! They were scrumptious! 10/10 would recommend visiting! You won’t be disappointed!
The cottage was enchanting. The only negative would be the narrow spiral staircase getting to the 2 beds . But we loved the property and the host were very nice and helpful..would love to stay again.
We have stayed at a lot of VRBOs, but this was by far the best. Comfortable in every way - quality beds and linens, soft pillows, beautiful views, responsive and friendly hosts and biting fish in the pond. We will be back as soon as possible!
Incredible setting, beautifully landscaped and Roland and Susan were awesome hosts. We were welcomed with fresh OJ and fig/pecan baked goodies in the refrigerator. We will be back for sure.
Best,
Mile and Melissa
The cottage and property was perfect. In spite of the cold weather the cottage was warm, the fireplace was awesome, the fish were biting, the property is located perfectly as well as very safe. Trust the owners with the restaurant suggestions. Everywhere we ate out was delicious. Will be going back and highly recommend.
Jonathan C.
Stayed 3 nights in Jan 2022
About the host
Hosted by ROLAND OR SUSAN HARTZOG
We are retired an live on the property in the main stone lodge/house. I grew up in Palestine, went to the University of Texas, graduated in Radio-TV-Film and have worked for a TV station in Austin before starting my own production company in Houston. We have traveled extensively throughout the world and the US and Canada. We enjoy meeting new people but understand the concept of giving space where needed. I have worked on the property for about 20 years and we love gardening, landscaping, wine and are somewhat foodies..
Why they chose this property
The 8 acre property has a 4 acre lake, picnic pavilion that can accommodate 50 guests, fruit orchard (figs, blackberries, raspberries, grapes, peaches, persimmon & cherries) a greenhouse, cobblestone circle drive, central manicured yard, extensive landscaping throughout and is in a wildlife viewing area of East Texas.
What makes this property unique
We are the closest accommodations to the Texas State Railroad depot in Palestine where The Polar Express runs during the fall. The NASA balloon base is about 10 miles away and we are far enough away from Dallas and Houston but close enough to Tyler in case you're in need of something more than Palestine can offer. Lake Palestine is about 15 minutes away and has fishing, boating and other water related sports. Davey Dogwood Park is 5 minutes away should you like to enjoy the Dogwood Festival in the springtime.
Languages:
English
Premier Host
They consistently provide great experiences for their guests