National Historic Landmark

Houston, Sam, House

Huntsville, Walker County, Texas
Listed
May 29, 1974
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
74002097

About this property

Woodland is a historic house on the grounds of Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas. Built in stages beginning about 1847, it was the residence of Sam Houston from 1847 to 1859. The house is now part of Sam Houston Memorial Museum, and is a National Historic Landmark. Woodland is the centerpiece of the 15-acre (6.1 ha) museum property at the southeast corner of the Sam Houston State University Campus. It is a 1+1⁄2-story log structure, finished in wooden clapboards and covered by a gabled roof. It is a classic dogtrot house, with a central breezeway flanked by rectangular log chambers, with brick chimneys at the ends. A shed-roof porch extends in front of the breezeway, supported by square posts. The breezeway includes a winding staircase which provides access to loft spaces used as bedrooms. The house was little more than a single-room log cabin when Sam Houston began enlarging it in 1847. In that year, he added the breezeway and second log structure. Later alterations improved the upper level, including construction of the staircase, and apparently reversing the front and back of the house. Houston's family occupied the house until 1859, the period during which he served as a United States senator, and as Governor of Texas. Houston's signature achievements, the independence of Texas and its subsequent annexation to the United States, happened before he took up residence here. The house is now accompanied by a reconstruction kitchen outbuilding, as well as the restored cabin that he used as a law office. National Register of Historic Places listings in Walker County, Texas Recorded Texas Historic Landmarks in Walker County

Location

Huntsville, Walker County, Texas
30.71530, -95.55312

Categories

MILITARYPOLITICS/GOVERNMENT
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Austin Hall
Industrial
0.2 mi
Josey Boy Scout Lodge and Keeper's Cabin
Industrial
0.4 mi
Thomason, John W., House
Industrial
0.6 mi
Riverside Swinging Bridge
Industrial
13.5 mi
State Highway 19 Bridge at Trinity River
Industrial
13.6 mi

Questions about this property

When was Houston, Sam, House listed on the National Register?

Houston, Sam, House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 29, 1974.

What type of historic resource is Houston, Sam, House?

Houston, Sam, House is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

Is Houston, Sam, House a National Historic Landmark?

Yes. Houston, Sam, House has been designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL), the highest level of federal recognition for historic properties in the United States.

What is the period of significance for Houston, Sam, House?

The period of significance for Houston, Sam, House is recorded as the industrial era.

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