The Austin and Northwestern Railroad reached Granite Mountain in 1885 when it was contracted to haul nearly sixteen thousand carloads of granite for the construction of the state capitol in Austin. The line was extended to Llano in 1892. The wooden depot is a standard model, with an office and waiting room on the west end and a six-bay baggage area on the east end. A cross gable separates the two functions. A fire destroyed the original depot in 1961. This is a reconstruction built by the city in 2007.
Of several hotels in operation at the end of the rail line, the only remaining is the nearby Dabbs Hotel (1907; 112 E. Burnett Street), which was in business until 1979 and is now a bed-and-breakfast. The two-story brick structure has a full-width, five-bay front porch and an enclosed porch above with a hipped roof.