Sebastopol House State Historic Site is a state park in Guadalupe County, Texas. It sits roughly 800 m W of Seguin. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Sebastopol House Historic Site is an antebellum Greek Revival house built of concrete, located in Seguin, Texas, United States. Joshua W. Young built it between 1854 and 1856 for his sister, Catherine LeGette. Today Sebastopol is one of some 20 surviving buildings that give Seguin the largest concentration of early 19th-century structures in the U.S. As a result of its unusual concrete construction, Sebastopol House was included in the Historic American Buildings Survey (H.A.B.S.) in 1936, made a Registered Texas Historical Landmark in 1964, and then listed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 25, 1970. It is a prime example of the limecrete structures of Seguin. The house is constructed entirely of unreinforced cast-in-place concrete and it is one of the oldest and largest structures in the state using this building method.From the Wikipedia article “Sebastopol House Historic Site”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Sebastopol House State Historic Site the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 62° (ENE) at the June solstice and 117° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 298° (WNW) in June to 243° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 84° in summer but only 37° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:37 AM | 90° E | 7:44 PM | 271° W | 60° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:33 AM | 62° ENE | 8:36 PM | 298° WNW | 84° | 14h 03m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:21 AM | 89° E | 7:30 PM | 271° W | 61° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:23 AM | 117° ESE | 5:38 PM | 243° WSW | 37° | 10h 15m |
Azimuth is measured clockwise from true north (90° = east, 270° = west). Computed for 2026; values change by less than a degree from year to year.
Golden hour & blue hour by month
State parks often protect a signature feature — a gorge, lake or overlook — that is best in early morning before visitors and harsh light arrive.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:03 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:03 AM | 5:20 PM | 5:56 PM | 6:21 PM | 10h 27m |
| February | 6:48 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:45 AM | 5:49 PM | 6:22 PM | 6:46 PM | 11h 09m |
| March | 7:19 AM | 7:43 AM | 8:14 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:05 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 6:42 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:38 AM | 7:27 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:23 PM | 12h 53m |
| May | 6:14 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:44 PM | 13h 38m |
| June | 6:05 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:59 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:01 PM | 14h 02m |
| July | 6:16 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:17 AM | 8:00 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:01 PM | 13h 52m |
| August | 6:36 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:33 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:39 PM | 13h 13m |
| September | 6:54 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:49 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:39 PM | 8:03 PM | 12h 21m |
| October | 7:10 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:06 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:27 PM | 11h 29m |
| November | 6:32 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:31 AM | 5:04 PM | 5:38 PM | 6:03 PM | 10h 41m |
| December | 6:54 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:56 AM | 5:00 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:02 PM | 10h 16m |
Local time (America/Chicago), including daylight saving time. Golden hour runs from about −4° to +6° solar altitude, so the morning golden hour begins during blue hour, before sunrise.
Milky Way & night sky
From Sebastopol House State Historic Site, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 32° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 6 (bright suburban sky), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| February | 4:52 AM – 5:42 AM | 0.8 | 19° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:00 AM – 6:20 AM | 2.3 | 28° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:02 AM – 5:42 AM | 3.7 | 32° | SE → S |
| May | 11:58 PM – 5:08 AM | 5.2 | 32° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:10 PM – 4:50 AM | 6.7 | 32° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:07 PM – 3:27 AM | 5.3 | 32° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:39 PM – 1:29 AM | 3.8 | 32° | S → SW |
| September | 8:59 PM – 11:19 PM | 2.3 | 29° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:22 PM – 9:22 PM | 1.0 | 20° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -18° | — |
Window when the galactic core is at least 10° high during astronomical darkness on the 15th of each month. Pick nights within a few days of the new moon. Plan exact nights with the Milky Way planner.
Estimated sky darkness: 6 Bortle 6 — Bright suburban sky. The Milky Way is only visible near the zenith; the sky glows grey-orange in photos. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 19.05 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 38% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (62%). August is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.
Average cloud cover (%)
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °F | 86 | 92 | 96 | 103 | 104 | 110 | 110 | 113 | 110 | 100 | 91 | 86 |
| Low °F | 20 | 18 | 23 | 34 | 44 | 62 | 67 | 65 | 52 | 36 | 25 | 22 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.2 | 1.7 | 2.6 | 2.6 | 3.8 | 3.0 | 2.9 | 2.6 | 3.8 | 3.2 | 2.3 | 2.0 |
Monthly climatology for the surrounding 1° grid cell from NASA POWER (MERRA-2). Mountain sites can be colder and cloudier than the cell average.
Photography tips for this state park
- Day-use fees or passes are common; buy them online before arriving.
- Check park hours: many state parks close at dusk, which affects sunset and night shooting.
- Ask rangers about photography permits for commercial work, models or drones.
- Weekday mornings are the least crowded at popular viewpoints.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
Season: Spring wildflowers and autumn color are peak seasons in most parks.
Suggested gear: Versatile zoom lens, Tripod, Park pass. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Permits, drones & access
Drones: Drone rules in state parks vary by state and even by park — many require a permit or ban recreational drone flights. Check the park's rules and the FAA B4UFLY app before flying.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 40 km of Sebastopol House State Historic Site, closest first.
Waterfall
WaterfallWaterfallWaterfall
State Park
Scenic Viewpoint
Cave
CaveScenic ViewpointFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Sebastopol House State Historic Site?
What time is golden hour at Sebastopol House State Historic Site?
Where does the sun rise and set at Sebastopol House State Historic Site?
Can you see the Milky Way from Sebastopol House State Historic Site?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Sebastopol House State Historic Site?
How far is Sebastopol House State Historic Site from Seguin?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, Wikipedia. Sun, moon and Milky Way times are computed by LWPhoto Atlas for 2026. Climate: NASA POWER. Sky darkness is a population-based estimate (Walker's law), not a measurement. See data sources & licenses.