J. W. Harrison & Son
Paris, Lamar County, Texas
Marker Inscription
John Winn Harrison (1865-1940) came to Paris from Alabama in 1886. Working as a carpenter for several years, he formed a construction company in partnership with Cornelius G. Caviness in the 1890s. Becoming an independent contractor about 1913, he played a major part in rebuilding the city after a disastrous fire in 1916. Barney Harrison (1898-1954) joined his father in business in 1917, and the firm of J. W. Harrison & Son was formed in 1919. The company built many public and private structures in Paris, including homes, schools, the city hall, and the public library. (1987)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
John Winn Harrison arrived in Paris, Texas, from Alabama in 1886 and worked as a carpenter before founding a construction partnership and then his own contracting firm. He played a major role in rebuilding the city after a disastrous 1916 fire, and when his son Barney joined him the firm J. W. Harrison & Son was formed in 1919. The company raised many of the city's landmarks—homes, schools, the city hall, and the public library.
Why it matters
Family building firms like this one literally reconstructed American towns after catastrophe, and their courthouses, schools, and libraries remain the civic backbone of communities like Paris.
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Related people
- · John Winn Harrison
- · Barney Harrison
Themes & tags
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