Leake Building
Navasota, Grimes County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Originally a one-story frame business house built in 1873 by Walter J. and Julia C. Peterson, this structure was enlarged in 1885. Native sandstone walls and a second story were added. John Wesley Leake (1852-1940), a builder, horse breeder, and race track owner, bought the property in 1886. He and his descendants owned the building more than 80 years. The Victorian commercial structure has housed many important firms. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1978
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Built as a modest one-story frame store in 1873 and enlarged in 1885 with native sandstone walls and a second floor, this Navasota building became a fixture of the town's commercial life. In 1886 builder and horse breeder John Wesley Leake bought it, and his family held the property for more than eighty years while a parade of important firms did business behind its Victorian storefront.
Why it matters
Sturdy downtown commercial blocks like the Leake Building are the surviving fabric of the small-town Texas Main Street, chronicling the merchants and enterprises that anchored a community for generations.
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Related people
- · John Wesley Leake
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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