Estes House
McKinney, Collin County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Kentucky native Ben T. Estes (1841-1920) came to Texas in 1856. After serving in the Confederate Army during the Civil War, he returned to McKinney where he was engaged in the mercantile business. Estes had this home constructed for his family in 1897. It features late Victorian styling with Eastlake influences. Prominent elements include its wraparound porch with decorative woodwork, the hip roof, and the corbeled brick chimney.**Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1984***
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Kentucky-born Ben T. Estes came to Texas in 1856 and, after service in the Confederate Army, returned to McKinney to build a mercantile business. In 1897 he had this late-Victorian home raised for his family, dressed in Eastlake woodwork with a wraparound porch, hip roof, and corbeled brick chimney. It survives as a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark.
Why it matters
Homes like this mark the recovery of the postwar South, where former Confederate soldiers turned to commerce and built the comfortable Gilded Age houses of a growing North Texas.
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Related people
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Themes & tags
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