Ross-Carroll House
Brenham, Washington County, Texas
Marker Inscription
About 1899, Mary (Dwyer) Ross built this house on land she inherited from her father, Thomas Dwyer. Built of cypress, the Queen Anne style house features Victorian ornamentation in its open tower, a second level porch with horseshoe arches, and jigsawn friezes and brackets. Mary's daughter Matilda (Ross) Carroll inherited the house in 1941, and it remained in the family until 1970.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Around 1899, Mary Dwyer Ross built this exuberant Queen Anne house of cypress on land inherited from her father, its open tower, horseshoe-arched porch, and jigsawn friezes typical of Victorian ornamentation. The home passed to her daughter Matilda and stayed in the family into the 1970s. It stands as a fine example of the decorative domestic architecture that flourished in prosperous Gilded Age Texas towns.
Why it matters
A house built and passed down through three generations of women offers a rare window on female property ownership and Victorian craftsmanship in small-town America.
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Related people
- · Mary Dwyer Ross
- · Matilda Ross Carroll
- · Thomas Dwyer
Themes & tags
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