Dewberry Plantation House
Bullard, Smith County, Texas
Marker Inscription
War of 1812 veteran John Dewberry came to Texas in 1835 and was listed as a resident of Tyler by 1845. A successful businessman and cotton farmer, he served on the commission to locate county boundaries and a county seat after the creation of Smith County in 1846. This Greek Revival house, which Dewberry named "Myrtle-Vale," was begun in 1852 and served as headquarters for his large cotton plantation. A rare surviving example in the county of a two-story antebellum residence, the Dewberry house remained in the family until 1908. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1962
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
A veteran of the War of 1812, John Dewberry came to Texas in 1835 and by the mid-1840s had settled near Tyler, becoming a successful cotton farmer and helping to organize newly created Smith County in 1846. He began this Greek Revival house, which he named "Myrtle-Vale," in 1852 as the headquarters of his large cotton plantation. A rare surviving two-story antebellum residence in the county, it stayed in the Dewberry family until 1908.
Why it matters
The Dewberry house links a founding generation of East Texas planters to the cotton economy that shaped the region before the Civil War.
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Related people
- · John Dewberry
Themes & tags
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