The Allen House
Marshall, Harrison County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Born in Alabama, the Rev. Walker Montecue Allen (1819-1899) was a Cumberland Presbyterian minister, author, and teacher. He moved to Marshall in 1876 with his wife Eliza Ann (Handly) (1829-1902) and their nine children. They erected this two-story residence in 1879, with the Rev. Allen and his older sons doing most of the carpentry and masonry work. An example of the late Greek revival style, this structure was occupied by the Allen family until 1942. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1977
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
The Rev. Walker Montecue Allen, an Alabama-born Cumberland Presbyterian minister, author, and teacher, moved to Marshall in 1876 with his wife Eliza Ann and their nine children. Three years later he and his older sons did most of the carpentry and masonry to raise this two-story house in the late Greek Revival style. The Allen family lived here until 1942, a span of more than six decades under one roof.
Why it matters
A house largely built by a minister-teacher and his sons reflects the self-reliant, family-centered world of Reconstruction-era East Texas and the outsized role clergy played in frontier education.
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Related people
- · Walker Montecue Allen
- · Eliza Ann Handly Allen
Themes & tags
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