John Sterling Smith House
Chappell Hill, Washington County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Originally built in 1855 as a one-story dog-trot structure, this house was purchased in 1873 by John Sterling and Claytonia Smith. Their son, John Sterling Smith, Jr., a community leader, businessman, and cotton farmer, had the home remodeled to its current Queen Anne style appearance in 1910. It is the last remaining house of its style in Chappell Hill. Its features include an octagonal tower, second floor gables and dormers, and a curvilinear porch.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
First built in 1855 as a simple one-story dog-trot cabin, this Chappell Hill house was bought in 1873 by John Sterling and Claytonia Smith. Their son, a cotton farmer and community leader, transformed it into an elaborate Queen Anne home in 1910, adding an octagonal tower, gables, dormers, and a sweeping curved porch â the last such house left in the town.
Why it matters
The house charts the rise of a cotton-country family from frontier cabin to Gilded Age gentility, mirroring the fortunes of the Texas plantation belt across two generations.
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Related people
- ¡ John Sterling Smith
- ¡ Claytonia Smith
- ¡ John Sterling Smith, Jr.
Themes & tags
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