HistoricSiteMarkers
Early Republic

Jefferson Dunaway Home

Waxahachie, Ellis County, Texas

Marker Inscription

Built 1855 by Jefferson Madison Dunaway for his bride, Sarah Ann Brack. Stone for chimneys came from the nearby creek banks. Cypress wood was used in structure. Two later generations of the family have lived here: The households of Jefferson Richard ("Jeff") Dunaway and of Richard Waldo Dunaway.

Erected by Texas Historical Commission

The Story

Jefferson Madison Dunaway built this house in 1855 for his bride, Sarah Ann Brack, quarrying stone for the chimneys from nearby creek banks and framing the structure in cypress. The home stayed in the family for generations, sheltering the households of Jefferson Richard "Jeff" Dunaway and Richard Waldo Dunaway.

Why it matters

A pre–Civil War home built from local stone and cypress, the Dunaway house marks the arrival of permanent settlement in Ellis County during the Texas frontier era.

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Related people

  • · Jefferson Madison Dunaway
  • · Sarah Ann Brack

Themes & tags

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