Roberts House
Sherman, Grayson County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Connecticut native Charles Nathan Roberts (1836-1920) moved to Arkansas prior to the Civil War. He served as a captain in the Confederate Army, and after the war he married Emma Royston. By 1876 they had moved to Sherman, where Roberts established a retail hardware business, purchased this property, and built a small cottage for his family. As Roberts' business prospered and expanded into the wholesale market, he became active in civic affairs, serving on the local school board and the Austin College board of trustees. Both he and Emma were active lay leaders in Sherman's first Presbyterian church. In 1896 they hired the architectural firm of Moad and Elliott to design a new home to replace their cottage on this site. Completed in 1897 for less than $9,000, the house is a fine example of a Queen Anne-Eastlake style residence. It exhibits hallmark features of the style, including asymmetrical massing, liberal use of milled wood details, shingled gable ends, roof cresting and finials, and varied colors and contrasting finishes. Following Emma Roberts' death in 1937, the house was inherited by the couple's son, Charles Stanly Roberts (1878-1972). It remained in his family until 1987. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1993
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Charles Nathan Roberts left Connecticut for Arkansas, served as a Confederate captain, and by 1876 had settled in booming Sherman, where his hardware trade grew from retail into wholesale prosperity. As his fortune rose he took on civic duties, sitting on the school board and the Austin College board of trustees, while he and his wife Emma helped lead the town's Presbyterian church. In 1897 the couple crowned their success with this exuberant Queen Anne-Eastlake home, all asymmetry, milled woodwork, and contrasting color.
Why it matters
The Roberts House shows how a Gilded Age merchant translated commercial success into civic leadership and architectural display in a rising North Texas town.
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Related people
- · Charles Nathan Roberts
- · Emma Royston Roberts
- · Charles Stanly Roberts
Themes & tags
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