Lumpkin House
Hillsboro, Hill County, Texas
Marker Inscription
In era of Hillsboro's growth after Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railroad entered (1881) county, contractor John Self Robinson built (1883) this residence for R. S. Lumpkin (1837-1921) and wife Mary (Kelly). House style reflects success of Lumpkin, city's first maker of saddles and harness. He was a Confederate veteran, a horse fancier, and a volunteer fireman. House was owned 1952-70 by the Brin family, merchants; since 1970, by Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Loveless. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1973
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
When the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railroad reached Hill County in 1881, Hillsboro boomed, and in 1883 a local contractor built this handsome residence for R. S. Lumpkin, the town's first saddle and harness maker. A Confederate veteran, horse fancier, and volunteer fireman, Lumpkin embodied the enterprising spirit of the railroad-era town, and his home's style reflected his success. Later owners included a family of merchants who kept the house through the mid-twentieth century.
Why it matters
The house captures the burst of prosperity that the railroad brought to central Texas towns, when tradesmen serving the horse-drawn economy could rise to local prominence.
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Related people
- · R. S. Lumpkin
- · John Self Robinson
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
City of Hillsboro
Hillsboro, TX
Carved from Navarro County in 1853, Hill County took its name from Dr. George Washington Hill, a Republic of Texas Secretary of War. Its seat, Hillsboro, rose on donated land and grew rich on cotton, exploding after the Missouri, Kansas & Texas and other railroads arrived in the early 1880s—a boom preserved today in its Queen Anne homes and the grand 1890 courthouse. The town produced a remarkable roster of Texas leaders, including Lt. Governor Bob Bullock.
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