The Parish Carriage House
Calvert, Robertson County, Texas
Marker Inscription
In 1892 wealthy merchant, cotton buyer, and banker L. H. Parish (1846-1924) and his wife Mattie bought this property. Soon they erected this carriage house with ornate Victorian styling to match their home. Plans for both structures came from the mail order catalogue of noted architect George Franklin Barber (1854-1915). The first floor was designed to house the bay horses, elegant carriages and also a tack and feed room. The driver's living quarters were on the second floor. Incise in base: Sponsored by Walker R. Gray, Jr.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
In 1892 the merchant, cotton buyer, and banker L.H. Parish and his wife Mattie built this ornately Victorian carriage house to match their new home in the cotton-boom town of Calvert. Both structures were ordered from the mail-order catalogue of architect George Franklin Barber, whose designs let prosperous small-town families import high style by post. The ground floor sheltered the family's bay horses and elegant carriages, while the driver lived upstairs.
Why it matters
The building is a tangible relic of Gilded Age cotton wealth and of the mail-order architecture that spread refined design far beyond America's big cities.
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Related people
- · L.H. Parish
- · George Franklin Barber
- · Walker R. Gray, Jr.
Themes & tags
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