Shelton-Smith House
Montgomery, Montgomery County, Texas
Marker Inscription
A part of this house may have existed as early as 1855, when site and improvements were sold to John E. Shelton. He was a master craftsman who built other fine houses prior to 1860. Shelton built the main portion about 1858 for his friend and business partner, Thomas Wesley Smith (1829-1902), who later was a leading cigar manufacturer in this county. Smith and his heirs owned the house until 1924. A granddaughter added the dormers in a 1922 remodeling. The 1924-1970 owners were the Thomas A. Gay family. Mr. and Mrs. K. M. Whisenant now (1976) preserve it.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Parts of this house may date to 1855, but master craftsman John E. Shelton built its main portion around 1858 for his friend and business partner Thomas Wesley Smith, who went on to become a leading cigar manufacturer in Montgomery County. Smith and his heirs kept the house into the 1920s, when a granddaughter's remodeling added its dormers. Successive owners have preserved it since.
Why it matters
The home links skilled antebellum builders with the local manufacturing enterprise that carried a Texas town into the industrial age.
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Related people
- · John E. Shelton
- · Thomas Wesley Smith
Themes & tags
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