Rochelle Place
Texarkana vicinity, Bowie County, Texas
Marker Inscription
On land settled 1811 and later patented in Republic of Texas by M. H. Janes. Built 1866 by Charles M. Rochelle, husband of Janes' daughter, Elizabeth. Home of their son, state legislator Wm. C. Rochelle, and descendants. Unique fireplace mantel was hand-hewn by slaves. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1966
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
The land beneath Rochelle Place was first settled in 1811 and later patented under the Republic of Texas by M. H. Janes. In 1866, just after the Civil War, his son-in-law Charles M. Rochelle built this home, which passed to his son, state legislator William C. Rochelle, and their descendants. Its most telling feature is a fireplace mantel hand-hewn by enslaved people — a quiet record of the labor that built the antebellum and early postwar South.
Why it matters
The house preserves both a founding Texas family's story and the physical trace of enslaved craftsmanship that too often went unnamed.
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Related people
- · Charles M. Rochelle
- · Elizabeth Janes Rochelle
- · William C. Rochelle
- · M. H. Janes
Themes & tags
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