Giddings-Wilkin House
Brenham, Washington County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Jabez Deming Giddings (1814-1878) of Pennsylvania bought this land in 1837. A lawyer, businessman, and civic leader, he built this residence of hand-hewn cypress boards before his marriage in 1843 to Ann Tarver (1822-1907). An unusual rooftop reservoir held rainwater. Remodeled about 1870, the house was sold in 1871 to John B. Wilkin (1827-1913), whose family occupied it until 1942. Scheduled for demolition in 1972, it was bought and restored by the Heritage Society of Washington County.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Jabez Deming Giddings, a Pennsylvania lawyer and civic leader, bought this Brenham land in 1837 and built a home of hand-hewn cypress boards—crowned by an unusual rooftop rainwater reservoir—before his 1843 marriage to Ann Tarver. Remodeled about 1870 and sold to the Wilkin family in 1871, it sheltered them until 1942. Slated for demolition in 1972, the house was rescued and restored by the county's heritage society.
Why it matters
As one of the oldest houses in Washington County, it survives as a tangible link to the earliest days of Anglo settlement in the Republic of Texas.
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Related people
- · Jabez Deming Giddings
- · John B. Wilkin
Themes & tags
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