The Scales-Fortson House
Corsicana, Navarro County, Texas
Marker Inscription
This residence was constructed in the 1890s by H. L. Scales, owner of a local gin and cottonseed oil mill. In 1911 it was purchased by John Thompson, president of the Corsicana National Bank. It became the home of banker and landowner Joe B. Fortson in the 1920s and remained in his family until 1976. The galleried house features Victorian and Classical Revival detailing and interior woodwork of walnut, maple, and redwood. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1980
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Built in the 1890s by H. L. Scales, owner of a local cotton gin and cottonseed oil mill, this galleried house passed through a succession of Corsicana's leading citizens, including bank president John Thompson and banker-landowner Joe B. Fortson. Its Victorian and Classical Revival detailing and interior woodwork of walnut, maple, and redwood reflect the prosperity of Navarro County's Gilded Age cotton economy. The Fortson family kept the home until 1976.
Why it matters
The house embodies the wealth that cotton processing and banking brought to small-city Texas at the close of the 19th century, when local industry built the region's grand residences.
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Related people
- · H. L. Scales
- · Joe B. Fortson
Themes & tags
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