Rowell Home
Jefferson, Marion County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Built about 1862 by civic leader, Q. Bateman. Bought by A. H. Rowell 1884. Still has gaslight fixtures, other relics. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1966
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Built about 1862 by civic leader Q. Bateman, this Jefferson home dates to the era when the town was a thriving inland riverport in East Texas. A. H. Rowell bought the house in 1884, and it retained its original gaslight fixtures and other period relics into the twentieth century. It was designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1966.
Why it matters
Surviving homes like this one preserve the texture of a nineteenth-century boomtown, when Jefferson's steamboat commerce made it one of the most important interior settlements in Texas.
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Related people
- · Q. Bateman
- · A. H. Rowell
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
William Clark Residence
Jefferson, TX
The two back rooms of this house are thought to date before 1852, built by Allen Urquhart, the founder of the riverport town of Jefferson. In 1885 the merchant William Clark bought the place and added three front rooms, living here for forty-three years while serving as postmaster, county judge, and Grand Master of the Masonic Lodge of Texas.
Beard House
Jefferson, TX
Built in 1860 in the riverport town of Jefferson, the Beard House is a cottage-type dwelling raised on the eve of the Civil War. Its kitchen stood detached from the main house, a common practice in the Old South meant to keep heat and fire risk away from the living quarters. It was recorded as a Texas Historic Landmark in 1966.
First Methodist Church
Jefferson, TX
Founded in 1844 with the Rev. James Baldridge as its first pastor, this Methodist congregation replaced its log church in 1860 with what was called the most imposing brick church west of the Mississippi. Its bell, cast from 1,500 Mexican silver dollars, still rings in the present building, erected in 1884.
W. S. Terry Home
Jefferson, TX
Built before 1850 in the thriving riverport town of Jefferson, this home was once the residence of B. J. Terry, who served as Grand Master of the Masonic Lodge of Texas. Dating to the early years of Texas statehood, it reflects the prominence of fraternal leaders in the civic life of a young frontier community.