| Old
houses grace the towns and cities of East
Texas. Some have survived by miraculous good fortune and some are nurtured
along by generations of caring owners who cherish them.
All are testimony
to an earlier way of life, but only a few are associated with the movers and shakers
of previous eras. A good example of the latter is the Starr Family Mansion in
Marshall.
This structure
is associated with a family of prominence in the political and economic development
of our state and region for the whole of the nineteenth century.
The first
Starr family member associated with Texas, Franklin J. Starr, moved here
from Ohio in 1834. For a while Starr partnered in the practice of law with William
Barret Travis. He ended up in Nacogdoches
as a result of the Runaway Scrape, or the
hasty departure to the east in front of Santa Anna's Mexican army during the Texas
Revolution in the Spring of 1836.
James
Harper Starr joined his brother Franklin and soon was involved in public
affairs. He served as land commissioner in Nacogdoches County and as President
Mirabeau B. Lamar's secretary of the treasury before relocating in Marshall.
Starr purchased Rosemont, the home of the Rev. A.F. Wagner, for
his residence, and over time the property became a family compound. His son, James
Franklin Starr, helped manage the family's business interest. He purchased
a portion of the estate for his own residence, Maplecroft -- now known
as the Starr Mansion. James Franklin Starr and wife Clara had six daughters.
As each daughter married, Starr built a home for her new family on the estate.
Several
of these buildings are extant: a portion of Rosemont, three of the houses
Starr constructed for his daughters, a school house, and proud Maplecroft.
The
Starr Mansion compound remained in family possession until 1985, then was transferred
to Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Portions of the property can be rented for
parties, bed & breakfast service, or tours.
Old houses vary greatly depending
on the care they receive. This old house is in excellent condition, and it offers
a wonderful insight into the way East Texans lived not so long ago.
All
Things Historical
April 1-7, 2001
(Archie P. McDonald is Director of the East Texas Historical
Association and author or editor of over 20 books on Texas)
The
Starr Family State Historic Site
407 W. Travis Street - 903-935-3044
Hours: Weds to Mon, 9 to 5; Sunday 1 to
5.
See Marshall,
Texas
See Update:
A
story of two homes by Bob Bowman 12-12-10
Two historic
buildings in East Texas made news recently. One story was sad; the other joyous...
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