William B. and Sue J. Houston House
Gonzales, Gonzales County, Texas
Marker Inscription
William Buckner Houston (1852-1916), a native of De Witt County, became a successful rancher, landowner and civic leader in Gonzales. He and his second wife, Susan Jones Houston, built this home in 1898 on Houston family land. His mother, Julia, also lived here. The house remained in the family until 1952. Queen Anne in style, the three-story structure is asymmetrical, with a wrapped porch, round corner turret and two-story balcony. Details include shingling, arched entryway, carriage porte cochere, bay windows, brackets and a belvedere in the turret. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 2003
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
William Buckner Houston rose from De Witt County roots to become one of Gonzales's leading ranchers and civic figures during the cattle-and-cotton boom of late-19th-century Texas. In 1898 he and his second wife, Susan, raised this three-story Queen Anne on family land, its corner turret, wraparound porch, and porte cochere announcing the prosperity of the era. The house sheltered three generations of Houstons before leaving the family in 1952.
Why it matters
The home embodies how ranching wealth reshaped small Texas towns in the Gilded Age, translating cattle and land into the ornate domestic architecture that still anchors many county seats.
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Related people
- · William Buckner Houston
- · Susan Jones Houston
Themes & tags
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