The Lay-Bozka House
Hallettsville, Lavaca County, Texas
Marker Inscription
One of distinctive structures of 19th century Texas. Sometimes called the "Wedding Cake House". Built 1878-1882 by B. J. E. Dietz at cost of $4,750 for Dr. James E. Lay, local physician and Civil War veteran. The architect was Victor Hugo, a French diplomat. Native stone walls are 18 to 24 inches thick. Wood used was cypress. Mansard roof. Windows of variant designs and sizes. Owned and preserved since 1948 by former Mayor M. I. Bozka. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark, 1968
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Built between 1878 and 1882 for local physician and Civil War veteran Dr. James E. Lay, this exuberant "Wedding Cake House" is one of 19th-century Texas's most distinctive homes. With native stone walls up to two feet thick, a mansard roof, cypress woodwork, and windows of endlessly varied design, it reflects the Gilded Age taste for ornamented display. Former mayor M. I. Bozka has owned and preserved it since 1948.
Why it matters
The house shows how prosperity and architectural ambition reached small Texas towns in the decades after the Civil War, leaving behind landmarks worth preserving for their craftsmanship alone.
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Related people
- · James E. Lay
- · M. I. Bozka
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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