The Houston House
Gainesville, Cooke County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Mrs. Giles (Frances Dougherty) Houston, one of the heirs to a Cooke County fortune, built this magnificent example of frontier Victorian architecture in 1898. J. G. Garrett (1858-1919), a local man credited with the plans for many fine Gainesville structures, served as architect. Contractor was W. J. Snelling. Walls are solid brick. There are twelve rooms with nine fireplaces. Oak, cherry, and birds'-eye maple woods embellish the interiors. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1966.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
In 1898 Frances Dougherty Houston, an heir to a Cooke County fortune, built this striking example of frontier Victorian architecture, hiring local designer J.G. Garrett, credited with many of Gainesville's finest buildings. Its solid brick walls enclose twelve rooms with nine fireplaces, finished in oak, cherry, and bird's-eye maple. The home was named a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1966.
Why it matters
Grand homes like this reveal the wealth and refinement that took root in North Texas towns during the Gilded Age, and the women who shaped their communities through them.
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Related people
- · Frances Dougherty Houston
- · J.G. Garrett
- · W.J. Snelling
Themes & tags
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