Seven Oaks (Mallard-Alexander House)
Palestine, Anderson County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Built in 1848 as the home of Judge John B. Mallard, first lawyer in Palestine. Became the home of Judge William Alexander of 1857. Alexander was Chief Justice of Anderson County 1860-1865, and a trustee of the first school in Palestine. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1966
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Built in 1848 as the home of Judge John B. Mallard, Palestine's first lawyer, this house later became the residence of Judge William Alexander, who served as Chief Justice of Anderson County from 1860 to 1865 and helped found the town's first school. The dwelling has stood since the early days of the county seat and was designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1966.
Why it matters
Seven Oaks connects the founding legal and educational leadership of a young East Texas county to a rare surviving antebellum home.
Own a business near here? Add it to the map.
Related people
- · Judge John B. Mallard
- · Judge William Alexander
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
Purvey Lee (P.L.) Chism
Palestine, TX
Born in Alabama in 1893, Purvey Lee Chism served with the 127th Field Artillery in England and France during World War I before devoting his life to education. He taught and led rural schools in Lamar County, earned a master's degree from Texas A&M, and in 1940 moved to Palestine as a deputy state superintendent overseeing a growing cluster of counties. As Anderson County's school supervisor until 1963, he visited classrooms daily, shaping curriculum and mentoring teachers and students alike.
Frederick Douglass Elementary School
Palestine, TX
Opened in 1875 as the 'First Ward School for Coloreds,' this was the only public school ever built in Palestine's Old Town neighborhood, and for nearly a century it educated the community's African-American children. Renamed for Frederick Douglass in 1898 after the great abolitionist's death, it rebuilt in brick after a 1912 fire and became far more than a schoolhouse — hosting teacher associations, Friday assemblies, and county-fair exhibits. Three generations of the Freeman family led it before desegregation closed its doors in 1967.
Dr. Bonner Frizzell
Palestine, TX
Bonner Frizzell (1882–1968) devoted his life to public education in East Texas, rising from teaching two children algebra at eighteen to leading Palestine's schools as superintendent and business manager for 31 years. A TCU graduate who also studied journalism at Columbia and pursued doctoral work at the University of Texas, he threw himself into civic life through the Rotary Club, Chamber of Commerce, and YMCA. His students remembered him for his knowledge, fairness, and kindness, and he championed public schooling until his death.
Robert (Bob) Knight
Palestine, TX
Orphaned young and raised at the state orphans' home in Corsicana, Robert "Bob" Knight found his footing as a class president and team captain before starring on a championship football team at Sam Houston State. In 1937 he began a long career coaching basketball, volleyball, and physical education in the Palestine schools, also running the summer baseball league and working at the YMCA. Apart from World War II service training Navy personnel to swim, he coached and mentored Palestine's young people for more than three decades until his 1974 retirement.