The Sladek-Hillman House
Fayetteville, Fayette County, Texas
Marker Inscription
R. J. Sladek, a Bohemian immigrant, built this home about 1896. In 1899 ownership was transferred to Anna Hillman, the widow of Ludwig Hillman, one of the early settlers of the Fayetteville area. She lived in the house until her death in 1923. The interior of the Victorian cottage features 12-foot ceilings and millwork carvings of intricate detail. The front porch columns are bracketed and the bay window is decorated with fish scale siding. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1979
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
In the mid-1890s, waves of Central European immigrants were reshaping the rolling farmland of Fayette County, and among them was Bohemian settler R. J. Sladek, who raised this trim Victorian cottage around 1896. Within a few years it passed to Anna Hillman, widow of one of Fayetteville's early settlers, who kept house here until 1923. Its 12-foot ceilings, intricate millwork, bracketed porch columns, and fish-scale bay window capture the modest elegance of a Texas prairie town coming into its own.
Why it matters
The house stands as a tangible record of the Czech and Bohemian immigrants who helped build Central Texas, blending Old World craftsmanship with frontier ambition.
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Related people
- · R. J. Sladek
- · Anna Hillman
- · Ludwig Hillman
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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