This Texas Mansion Is The Oldest Home In The State
Deep in the heart of Texas Hill Country is the states oldest mansion, and you can visit it for only $15 in Mason, TX. If you consider you spend that on a lunch on the patio in just about any eatery in Fredericksburg, you will think a tour in the oldest mansion in Texas is a steal.
When was the oldest mansion in Texas built?
According to Wide Open Country, the home's beginning was in 1887 along the Comanche Creek in what is now Mason County. Construction was originally a two story stone home by Rev. Thomas A. Broad. Shortly after construction began, the home was sold to a banker from New York named Edward M. Reynolds.
Reynolds hired an architect to add onto the home after purchasing the property in 1891. German architect Richard Grosse designed the finished house as a three story Sandstone Victorian with 22 total rooms.
Grosse apparently found admirers of his work, and was then hired to design the county jail. Considering the heavy presence of German heritage throughout Texas Hill Country, it would stand to reason that Grosse likely has his autograph on other building designs that may still stand today.
What is the home called?
After the banker sold the home to Swedish immigrant Oscar Seaquist, and it became what it is now called, The Seaquist House. Seaquist's widow, Ada, remained in the home from his death in 1933 until 1972 often renting rooms to help maintain the massive house.
After Ada's passing, her son and daughter in law began to refurbish the home, and opened it for tours. It entered the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.