James Waller Thomas House
McKinney, Collin County, Texas
Marker Inscription
THIS VERNACULAR STYLE HOUSE WAS BUILT c. 1868 BY JAMES WALLER THOMAS, AN EARLY CIVIC LEADER IN COLLIN COUNTY, FOR HIS FAMILY OF 13. ORIGINALLY A ONE-ROOM RESIDENCE, THE HOUSE HAS NOT BEEN SUBSTANTIALLY MODIFIED SINCE 1902. IT REFLECTS THE MODEST HOMES BUILT BY EARLY SETTLERS OF NORTH TEXAS WITH MATERIALS AND TECHNIQUES AVAILABLE PRIOR TO THE ARRIVAL OF RAIL SERVICE. ORIGINAL ELEMENTS INCLUDE THE FLOORING, BRICK CHIMNEY, AND ROUGH-HEWN TIMBER FOUNDATION AND ROOF DECKING. THIS IS ALSO THE SITE OF AN ATTEMPT ON THOMAS’ LIFE BY AN UNKNOWN PERSON, LIKELY DUE TO HIS ROLE AS EDITOR AND PUBLISHER OF THE COUNTY’S FIRST NEWSPAPER WHEREIN HE EXPRESSED SUPPORT FOR THE UNION AND THE RIGHTS OF BLACK SETTLERS – OPINIONS UNPOPULAR WITH SOME DURING THE CIVIL WAR AND RECONSTRUCTION. RECORDED TEXAS HISTORIC LANDMARK – 2011
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Built about 1868 by civic leader James Waller Thomas for his family of thirteen, this modest Collin County house began as a single room and has changed little since 1902, preserving original flooring, chimney, and rough-hewn timbers from before rail service reached North Texas. Thomas also edited and published the county's first newspaper, and his outspoken support for the Union and for the rights of Black settlers made him enemies — the site witnessed an attempt on his life during the turbulent Civil War and Reconstruction years.
Why it matters
The house preserves both frontier building craft and the dangerous convictions of a Reconstruction-era editor who championed unpopular ideas about union and racial justice.
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Related people
- · James Waller Thomas
Themes & tags
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