The Bickham House
Shelbyville, Shelby County, Texas
Marker Inscription
On site of J. M. Crawford home, built 1850, razed by fire, 1885. Erected by Crawford's stepson, Frederick Lee Bickham (1866-1907), prominent landowner and rancher, in 1885-88. Here he and his wife, Nevada Levonia Mhoon, brought up their children and Bickham's stepsisters and stepbrothers. Timber (cedar, cypress, and heart pine) for house was cut on the property. In 1972, N. O. Thomas bought, restored, and renamed the house "Welcome Hall." Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1973
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Frederick Lee Bickham, a prominent landowner and rancher, built this East Texas home between 1885 and 1888 on the site of his stepfather's earlier house, which had burned. The timber—cedar, cypress, and heart pine—was cut from the surrounding property, and here Bickham raised his family alongside his stepsiblings. Restored in 1972 and renamed "Welcome Hall," the house survives as a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark.
Why it matters
The Bickham House reflects the prosperity of the post-Reconstruction ranching families whose homes shaped the settled landscape of East Texas.
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Related people
- · Frederick Lee Bickham
- · Nevada Levonia Mhoon
- · J. M. Crawford
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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