The Ginocchio Hotel is a three-story, ell-shaped brick structure which incorporates an earlier one-story brick building within the angle of the elf. C.G. Lancaster, who designed the hotel for the railroad tycoon C.A. Ginocchio in 1896, also built the old county courthouse, which now houses the Harrison County Historical Museum.

Built to sustain the daily vibrations of trains only 60 feet away, the hotel is perhaps the sturdiest structure in Marshall. The foundation is of hand sawed native iron stone set 10 feet into the ground and topped with three floors of twenty-inch thick brick walls. The main or north facade of the hotel has a series of six double doors with transoms on the first floor, supported by cast iron columns. Segmental arched 2-over-2 light windows on the second floor are divided into bays by brick pilasters, but joined horizontally by a belt course.
There is a large central gable flanked by corner towers with pyramidal roofs and finials. The longer side of the building facing N. Washington Street is divided into three bays by brick pilasters. On the first floor the northeast bay has three segmental arched windows, while the remainder of the first level contains alternating double doors and large display windows with transoms. Across the second floor are segmental arched windows with a belt course, crowned by a large central gable flanked by two dormers and corner towers. Much of the original red brick detail, such as the corbelled cornice and quoins, are hidden beneath the modern creamcolored stucco. The original appearance has also been altered by the removal of six tall brick chimneys and the turrets that flanked each side of the central gables. The tall canopy which extended around the north and east facades was lowered in 1918 just below the transoms.

The most impressive aspect of the hotel today is the recent restored interior. The building has public dining rooms on the main floor, private club facilities and small dining rooms on the second floor, and storage on the third floor. The floors originally were of pine, but an early twentieth century owner replaced all but the grand dining room and ball room with tile. The first and second stories are elaborately decorated with over a mile of beautifully burled curly pine woodwork. There is wainscoting in the public rooms, halls, and lobbies, beautifully turned banisters and stairways, detailed brackets and spandrels, and handsome door framing. This rare and extremely hard woodwork was so difficult to work that it was finished in the Texas and Pacific Railway shops at Marshall where the machinery and crafts men were available.

The Ginocchio house, designed in 1886 by C.G. Lancaster, stands to the south of the hotel across Ginocchio St. Originally a street ran between the Paul Whaley house and a brick yard which Ginocchio owned. With plans to build the hotel on the north end of this property, he moved the street from the south bounder of his land and had it constructed next to the future location of his hotel, renaming it Ginocchio St. on the remaining lot he built this two-story Victorian house with handmade bricks fired on the property.

The house has an irregular plan with projecting gabled pavilions on each facade. The main or south facade has a large two-story bayed portion with flat roof, which projects beyond the gabled pavilion at one end. From the opposite corner of the front facade rises a pyramidal roofed cupola with finial and pointed louvered openings at the base. A one-story gallery with turned posts, spandrel and fanned brackets shelters the central double door and a flanking window.

The house originally displayed five porches and all remain except a one-story porch on the north facade The only other structural change was the removal of the chimneys. On the interior Mr. Ginocchio employed the craftsmen at the Texas and Pacific Shops to mill the woodwork used in the decor. Some of the same curly pine, later used abundantly in the hotel, embellishes the house.

Next door to the Ginocchio house is the Whaley House built c. 1886. The one and a half story frame residence has a steeply pitched, truncated hipped roof of tile with a tin balustrade encircling the flat deck. A large partially bayed dormer with three trabeated windows dominates the main facade of the house. Gabled wings with Palladian windows project on the north and south facades, while a gable portion containing trabeated windows extends at the rear. Across the front is a one-story balustrade gallery supported by Ionic columns and crowned by a balustraded deck. The owners are in the process of restoring the house.

East of the Ginocchio House across N. Washington Street is a one-story brick Victorian cottage, known as the Meyers House and was also built by Lancaster in the late 1890's. The main facade displays a projecting bayed portion with a pointed octagonal roof. The windows have segmental brick arches and narrow 2-over-2 lights. Originally a wooden porch with Victorian detail probably embellished the main facade, but was replaced c. 1920's by the present concrete and brick porch. Some wood frame additions have enlarged the house at the rear, but the basic structural plan is unchanged.

Immediately to the south of the Meyers House is the two and a half story frame Allen residence. The house has a central single door flanked by two narrow Victorian 4-over-4 light window on each side. There is a double gallery across the front supported by one-story Doric columns.

On N. Bolivar St. are three notable Victorian houses of the same period. The Mitchell residence, built c. 1900, is a one and a half story ell-shaped cottage with a small turret over the entrance vestibule. An attached gallery supported by turned posts and punched brackets wraps around the projecting gabled portion on the front. Southeast of the Mitchell House on the corner of Repose Lane and N. Bolivar is the growl residence. This two and a half story frame house is in a vernacular Queen Anne style. A one-story attached Victorian
gallery surrounds three sides of the house. The porch is embellished by the octagonal roof turret at the southeast corner of the house. The profusion of gables, dormers, chimneys, and a one-bay Victorian porch adds further interest at the roofline. The gables are shingled and some have bracketed eaves. Finally, the Patillo House is another one-story brick Victorian cottage. The house has a typical Victorian T-shaped plan with a projecting gabled portion at the front and rear and an attached gallery across the remainder of both facades. The house has a central door flanked by segmental arched, 4/4 light windows.

The north boundary of the district includes the railroad structures. The present passenger station built in 1908 is the second Texas and Pacific depot. The two-story red brick square building with white trim is in a Mission Revival design, a popular depot style in the first decade of the twentieth century.

The tiled roof with overhanging eaves is a low pitched hip with the characteristic curvilinear gables on three sides main or southwest facade has a central projecting gabled portion displaying the station's name with a one story arched gallery on either side. The gallery continues around the southeast and northeast sides, but is enclosed on the northeast. An underground tunnel built in 1939 runs beneath the tracts connecting the depot to the hotel. The freight station to the north is contemporary with the depot. Creating additional visual interest are the Bolivar Street viaducts built c. 1914. Still used for automotive traffic, these viaducts provide an overview of the Ginocchio district. To the east are the Texas and Pacific railway shops built c. 1900. The original 1871 shops stood until 1971 when a fire destroyed the building. The foundations exist to the north of the present shops. Two steel water towers in use during the steam locomotive era remain standing on the Texas and Pacific property. Finally, completing the district is the Marsh cemetery, the city's oldest cemetery, which creates a natural boundary at the southeast corner.

The history of Marshall, county seat of Harrison County in northeast Texas, has been closely tied to the railroad, particularly since 1871 when the Texas and Pacific Railroad was chartered. As the only federally chartered railroad in Texas and one of few in the United States, the T & P was given the right to build from Marshall to San Diego, California and granted 20 sections of land per mile. In 1873 Texas and Pacific acquired authority to lay tracts from Marshall to Texarkana. In that same year their shops came to Marshall by an act of the Texas State Legislature which authorized a bond issue in Harrison County for $300,000 and the donation of 66 acres of land by the city. Thus, Marshall became the eastern terminus of the T & P railroad with the establishment of the general offices and shops in that city.

An individual who profited from the railroad boom following the Civil War was Charles A. Ginocchio. Born in Italy in 1844 he left with his family for Richmond, Virginia in 1848. Following the Civil War the Ginocchio family moved to Little Rock, Arkansas. It was in Little Rock, the terminus of the Iron Mountain Railway, that Ginocchio noticed the lack of dining and room accommodations for passengers. Conceiving of the idea to establish restaurants and hotels at the terminus of railroad lines, he prospered in the late nineteenth century as a commissary agent for the Texas and Pacific. In 1869 Charles married Roxana Walter and, after the birth of their first child in 1871, moved to Marshall. Ginocchio had had success with a restaurant in Texarkana and when he heard of the new Texas and Pacific railroad, chose to make his home in Marshall.

Ginocchio first operated the Ginocchio Depot Restaurant, next to the Express Company and Ticket office of the Railroad. Between 1893 and 1896 he built the Ginocchio Hotel in Marshall. In addition to these Marshall enterprises, he operated restaurants and hotels along the railroad lines in Arkansas, Texarkana, Longview, Mineola, Dallas, and Fort Worth.

The Ginocchio family first lived in a small one-story in the 500 block of N. Washington. However, when Roxana's three orphaned nephews came to live with them in 1878, a larger house was needed for the expanded family. In 1886 Charles Ginocchio employed C.G. Lancaster to build a two story house, utilizing bricks made and fired on his property. He also employed the craftsmen at the T & P shops to mill the woodwork used in the interior.

A few years after completing his house, he began construction of the Ginocchio. Reported to be the "finest hotel between New Orleans and Denver," the first floor contained store fronts, a cafe, an elaborate lobby, ballroom, dining room with wine closet, kitchen and pantry. There were 30 private hotel rooms on the second floor and 10 rooms on the third. The ballroom, main lobby and cafe all have entire north wall of double glass doors which open onto the terrace in front of the depot.

During the immigration period of the early 1900's, when trainloads of families headed westward on the T & P, these doors were thrown open and the hotel served 300 to 400 people at a time on long trestle tables set up in the lobbies and the ballroom. Since the train schedule only allowed a 45-minute stop, the buffet method proved to be the most effective way to serve meals to the daily crowds. The Ginocchio continued to operate as a hotel until 1968 when it was restored and reopened only as a restaurant.

When the hotel was completed, Ginocchio built two one story brick houses across Washington Street from his home. one of these was for Emile Meyers who operated a saloon in the new hotel. Meyers, a native of the Alsace-Lorraine, continued in business in the Ginocchio Hotel during prohibition by converting his enterprise into a soda fountain. Ginocchio rented the second brick house, located adjacent to the Allen residence. This house has since been demolished.

One of the nephews, George Signaigo, assisted Ginocchio with his restaurants and hotels. While serving as the bookkeeper at the Fort Worth hotel, George met Elizabeth cook who he later married in 1898. After the death of Charles Ginocchio that same year, Signaigo handled his estate, selling the house to his wife's parents, the Ben cooks, and eventually buying the hotel. When the T & P put diners on their trains, this ruined George inherited businesses, so he sold all of his hotels around 1912 except for the Ginocchio. After the death of Mrs. Ben cook in 1942, George Signaigo sold the house and hotel to the Democrat who in turn sold both structures to the A.J. Pedisons in 1945. The Pedisons presently occupy the old Ginocchio House, but sold the hotel to Hobart Key in 1968.

Several Victorian houses, contemporary with the Ginocchio structures, remain standing in the immediate vicinity. The Whaley House was built approximately the same year as the Ginocchio House on the adjacent lot. Paul Whaley, one of the city's most prominent merchants, owned a retail hardware store and eventually became President of the Logan and Whaley Company in 1909. After
marrying in 1884, he built this house for his bride c. 1886. The Allen House across the street was built c. 1890, while the Mitchell House on Bolivar Street was built c. 1900. on the corner of Bolivar and Repose Streets stands the elaborate two-story Queen Anne style frame house built by a prominent Marshall doctor c. 1895. Finally, the earliest residence remaining in the area is the Patillo House built c. 1866 by William Patillo, a teaming and transport contractor.

The railroad structures have also been included in the district boundaries, as they have direct significance to the development of the Ginocchio Historic District. The 1908 passenger depot was erected on the site of an earlier depot built c. 1870. The structure is an interesting example of the Mission Revival style, a typical early twentieth century depot design, which is rapidly disappearing. The Marshall depot has been preserved by utilizing the building as a passenger station for Amtrak. A fire destroyed the original T & P shops in 1971 and only the foundations are now visible. However, the c. 1900 shops remain to the south of the ruins. In addition, a unique sight are the two steel water towers used during the steam locomotive era.

Finally, the Marshall Cemetery, a natural boundary for the district, is significant as the city's oldest cemetery. The tract was donated to the city in the 1840's and was used until the mid 1890's. Buried here are more leaders of the Republic of Texas and early statehood period than any other single cemetery in the state, except perhaps in Austin. Among those buried in the Marshall cemetery are former Texas Governor, Edward Clark (1815- 1880); Confederate General and Veteran of the Texas Revolution and Mexican War, Walter P. Lane (1817-1892); Confederate General Horace Randel (1833-64); and former State Supreme Court Justice, John T. Mills (1817-1871).

The Ginocchio Historic District, presently threatened by urban renewal activities, is important to Marshall as a tangible link with her railroad heritage. Concerned Marshall citizens, realizing the value of the area, are currently trying to draft an historic zoning ordinance to declare the area an historic district.

For the Harrison County Courthouse, Gordon again used the cruciform plan developed earlier, but in response to changes in taste, he employed Italian Renaissance details and incorporated larger spaces into the circulation areas. On the ground floor, entrances at the reentrant angles open into a large rotunda, this concept of circulation was similar to that in his Romanesque courthouses, but the central space of the Harrison County temple is considerably more spacious than that in his earlier buildings.

Reminiscent of the rotunda of the Texas State Capitol (1882-1888), the central space in the Harrison County Courthouse forms a monumental point of arrival. Supported upon a drum, the dome has a covered ceiling. The radial ribs of the covering extend past the drum and are supported by pilasters with simple capitals which are incorporated into moldings encircling the rotunda. The lowest two rows of coffers (which are actually a part of the drum) contain stained-glass windows transmit brilliant colors of light.

Introduced by massive newel posts, a stairway enhanced by decorative iron work with Nouveau character and wooden railings provides communication to the second story balcony. Encircling the rotunda space, this balcony, along with the third floor balcony, is supported by decorative brackets cantilevering from the wall. Each bracket with its acanthus patterns is accented by an electric light. Dados were installed on the walls adjacent to these balconies which have floors surfaced with tiles. Windows and door transoms cased
with stained and oiled wood open into the rotunda, providing for natural ventilation.

From the central circulation space were accesses to the county offices located on the ground level including tax collector, county clerk, and justice of the peace the balcony of the second level provided access to the offices of the district judge, district clerk, and the district courtroom which was a two-story space. On the third level were additional offices for other county officials.

The structure of the courthouse consists of masonry bearing walls and iron beams. The dome also is supported by iron framing. Throughout the building iron work is protected with lath and plaster.

From the exterior, the courthouse is a monumental work with fine Classical details. The composition rises above a base of pink quarry-faced granite similar to that used in the State Capitol. At this level window openings are spanned with granite lintels. Above this granite base and its cut- stone watertable, the walls are of buff colored brick of local manufacture detailed to create the scale of the stone architecture of the Renaissance. At the window openings, which are spanned by Roman arches, recessed courses of bricks angle into the voussoirs creating shadow lines representing rusticated stone construction. On this level, at the reentrant angles, the entrances are
emphasized by cream colored stone arcades on a quarter circular plan. Consistent with the treatment of the ground-story brick walls, this stone work is strongly rusticated.

The masses contained within the upper two stories are treated as the dominant compositional unit, of the courthouse. Divided from the lower level by a wide cut-stone stringcourse with graceful moldings, these walls are articulated by two-story pilasters with terra cotta capitals and bases in Ionic order. Deeply recessed into the walls, window openings are spanned with lintels.

The curved walls above the southeast and southwest entrances express the two-story district courtroom. Emphasizing the second-story windows into this space are wide architrave's with dentils surmounted by scroll pediments with anthemions. Above the northeast and northwest entrances are balconies with roofs supported by coupled columns. A balustrade appropriately terminates these features. Three tetra style porticos with column shafts of polished gray granite, and bases and capitals in Ionic Order project from the east, west and north ends of the courthouse; on the south a triangular roof pediment is supported only by pilasters. Interestingly, these porticos do not form entrance spaces as was common in Renaissance architecture, they serve as porches which were accessible only from the second story interiors. Access is through three doors with rectangular transoms surmounted by architraves and pediments similar to those above the second story windows. From the center third-story windows under the porticos are small cantilevered balconies
supported on decorative brackets projecting from the openings between the scrolls of the center door pediments.

The courthouse walls are terminated at the roof by an entablature and balustrade fabricated from galvanized iron, typical of much turn-of-the-century work; the pediments are also of this material. Then likenesses of eagles crown the apexes of the roof pediments.

Rising gracefully above all this is the dome with its supporting drum in octagonal form, which contrasts with the interior circular shape. Covered with bronze plate the dome is accented by four clocks each of which is flanked by pilasters supporting an entablature and a scroll pediment. At the apex of the dome supported on a lantern is a statue of the goddess of justice with scales in hand.

The drum displays details that are consistent with the other parts of the building. Supporting lintels spanning the openings in the drum on each of the eight sides are three polished granite columns with Ionic capitals and bases of terra cotta. At the salient angles of the drum are brick piers with bases and capitals. A sheet metal entablature with balustrade rises above the columns and piers and at each of the corners are posed eagles -- favorite features borrowed from Roman architecture of antiquity. Lattice windows provide natural light into the rotunda.

Changes in the exterior of the building have been made skillfully to preserve original details. In 1924 and 1927, additions were made to the east and west wings, respectively. At that time the porticos were moved out and the needed additional space was enclosed behind them. Other modifications include the enclosure of the entrances and the balconies with windows on both the northeast and northwest. The original window sashes have also been replaced with metal units. Nonetheless, the Harrison County Courthouse survives as one of the outstanding turn-of-the-century governmental buildings in Texas.

The Harrison County Courthouse possesses both architectural and historical significance. It is a fine Neo Italian Renaissance Revival structure containing a beautiful rotunda within. The site of the building has been the center of community activity for well over a century and this building served county government for over a half century.

Located adjacent to the East Texas state line, Harrison County was organized in 1839 and named for Jonas Harrison, a prominent East Texas attorney. The first permanent settlers were primarily cotton planters. Marshall became the county seat in 1842 and has continuously remained as the seat of government to the present day.

Established in 1839 and named for Chief Justice John Marshall, the town of Marshall was laid out on land originally owned by Peter Whetstone, who donated the land for the public square. The square was a two-block area centered on the two axes of streets leading to it. Thus a setting was provided wherein the courthouse terminated the vistas from the streets as the square was approached.

As a result of successful cotton farming, Marshall became a thriving community prior to the Civil. The arrival of the railroad in 1851 contributed impetus to the development of commercial and manufacturing activities. During the Civil War, following the fall of Vicksburg, Marshall became the Confederate Capital for that section of the South lying west of the Mississippi River. The city was evidently fortified on a small scale and a powder mill was established nearby.

During the ante-bellum period, after Marshall had been designated the county seat, commissioners authorized the construction of log cabin for use as a courthouse. This was replaced in 1848-1849 by a cubical brick temple with hipped roof and cupola in Greek Revival style, one of the finest ante-bellum courthouses to be built in Texas. Each of the four identical walls of this temple was articulated by five pilasters with capitals and bases supporting a heavy entablature. Known as the "Little Virginia Courthouse" - after the source of the inspiration for its design this building was much admired, although before it was completed the local newspaper observed the need of a clock to enable Marshall society "...to give system and regularity to its movements."

In 1887, after it was concluded that the Greek Revival temple was no longer safe, county commissioners determined to build a new courthouse. The following year, bids were received on plans developed by the architectural firm of McQuick and Tozer of Dallas. After considering bids ranging from $42,500 to $73,450, commissioners awarded the contract to James of Marshall for $47,000, Higgins also bought the old courthouse for $375. This new temple was built from St. Louis pressed brick with sandstone trim, and featured
Italianate details and a tower rising 175 feet. After serving the county for nearly 11 years, it was destroyed by a fire started when a spark from a tinner's fire pot ignited birds' nests under the courthouse eaves. The Salamander Fire Department attempted to save the structure but adversity struck: a hose cart upset on the driver, there was no coal for the engine pumper, the courthouse cistern had little water in it. However, fireproof vaults protected county records.

Later that year the issuance of bonds was authorized and within a short time architects J. Riely Gordon of San Antonio and Dallas, and C. G. Lancaster of Marshall were commissioned to design a new courthouse; Gordon provided the design while Lancaster did the contracting supervision. The contractor for the new structure was Sonnefield and Emmins, prominent Texas builders. Completion of the courthouse in 1900 was celebrated with a banquette and festive ceremonies. The local newspaper reported, "Our new courthouse is a thing of beauty and will be a joy forever."

Additions changed the form of the courthouse but not the character. In 1924 and 1927 additions were made to the east and west according to the designs of C.G. Lancaster. In 1964 a new brick courthouse was completed across the street from the southwest corner of the public square. The 1900 courthouse is preserved to house offices of governmental agencies and the county museum.
Its merit certainly warrants continued preservation.

Marker Title:
Harrison County Courthouse
Address: Houston at Washington St.
City: Marshall
County: Harrison
Year Marker Erected: 1965
Designations: Recorded Texas Historic Landmark
Marker Location:
Marker Text: Built 1900. Cost $62,000. Third on this site. (Little Virginia, 1851; brick Gothic, 1889, burned in 1899.) This one of granite, brick and marble. Capitol-styled, classic Roman architecture, with a dome clock and belfry surmounted by a symbolic figure of justice. In 1964 became site of Harrison County Museum, in space allotment after new Courthouse was opened on Whetstone
Square. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1965

Marker Title: Kahn Memorial Hospital
Address: 811 S. Washington
City: Marshall
County: Harrison
Year Marker Erected: 2000
Designations: na
Marker Location:
Marker Text: In April 1909, doctors James F. Rosborough, Rogers Cocke and Frank Littlejohn joined forces to meet the increasing need for a medical facility in Marshall. Established in the home and former sanitarium of Dr. John H. Pope, the new facility was to be called Memorial Hospital. The estate of Rosborough's former patient, E. Kahn, gave the bulk of the monies and the 12-bed facility was renamed for him. Nursing training began in 1911; Kahn Memorial Hospital became a public institution in 1912, though stockholders expected never to receive a financial return on their investments. By 1926 the hospital was ready for expansion. Through major community and county support, a new structure was erected on the same site and Valleloma, John Pope's former home and sanitarium and the hospital's first building, became a nursing school and residence. The hospital incorporated in 1931 and was granted a state charter as a nonprofit private enterprise in 1936. Another expansion was necessary by the 1940s, making Kahn Memorial Hospital a
66-bed facility. Valleloma was razed and a nursing school was erected in its place. In 1954 the board hired a business manager for the first time and he reorganized Kahn Memorial's failing financial situation. Given the option of becoming a city-or county-owned facility, the board declined and reached out to its citizens once again. The community rallied and the hospital began to succeed once more. Kahn Memorial Hospital hired its first female physician in 1957 and made two African American doctors full members of the staff in 1964. Renamed Marshall Memorial Hospital and later Marshall Regional Medical Center, the facility continues to serve the area's medical needs at the dawn of the 21st century. (2000)

Marker Title: The Library Movement in Marshall
Address: 213 W. Austin at Franklin St.
City: Marshall
County: Harrison
Year Marker Erected: 1976
Designations: na
Marker Location:
Marker Text: Twenty-five Marshall ladies formed the Ingleside Circulating Book Club in 1887, each member buying a book and making exchanges. When that club and four others organized a federation in 1899, their first civic goal was a city library. Use of a feed store loft was donated by the federation president and her husband. The library opened in 1900 with 174 books and with hay-bales for chairs. After a charter was obtained Oct. 24, 1902, the library moved to the City Hall, where it operated until a 1923 fire. At the City Hall, $1-a-year reading tickets gave admission to the public. these tickets plus funds raised by the clubwomen provided 69 years of city library services without the use of public tax revenues. This graceful Georgian structure was built after the clubs worked on funding for over 20 years and after the City Hall fire. Erected in 1926 at cost of $34,046.93, it was ideal in its appointments at that time, but was later outgrown. Finally the city was persuaded to support a municipal library, and on Oct. 28, 1971, the clubwomen handed over the keys to their building, books, and furniture. On completion of a new, larger city library facility in 1973, this building came to house other civic endeavors.

Resource Name: Marshall Arsenal, CSA
Address:
Address Restricted
Architect:
County: Harrison
City: Marshall
Architectural Style: NO STYLE LISTED

Marker Title: Marshall Pottery
Address: 4901 Elysian Fields Rd. (SH 31), SE limits of Marshall
City: Marshall
County: Harrison
Year Marker Erected: 1996
Designations: na
Marker Location:
Marker Text: Kentucky native W. F. Rocker founded the Marshall Pottery in 1895. The locale, apparently not legally owned by Rocker, contained spring-fed water and vast quantities of white clay, the two natural ingredients needed for the production of pottery. The business began with six employees, one wood-fired rock kiln, a mule-powered clay grinder and one man-powered kickwheel for turning the stoneware. Goods were delivered by mule and wagon in Texas and Louisiana. Rocker sold the business, later acquired by
Charles Studer. In 1905 Studer turned over the operation to Sam H. Ellis (1861-1938), a blacksmith for the Texas & Pacific railroad. The stoneware business was expanded by ellis, who employed several family members. New products were added to the line of items made, and the company became one of the largest manufacturers of clay garden pots in the United States. Fire destroyed a majority of the pottery facility in 1962, but it was rebuilt. A retail store was added in 1974, and the pottery operation was promoted throughout the region as a tourist attraction. the Ellis family sold the business in 1983. Most of the commercial potteries in Harrison county trace their roots to the Marshall Pottery, established more than 100 years ago.

Resource Name: Marshall US Post Office
Address: 100 E. Houston St.
Architect: Wenderoth, Oscar; Shaul, George
County: Harrison
City: Marshall
Architectural Style: CLASSICAL REVIVAL

Marker Title: Marshall, C.S.A.
Address:
City: Marshall
County: Harrison
Year Marker Erected: 1963
Designations: na
Marker Location: Marshall Cemetery, US 80 at columbus St., Marshall
Marker Text: As a center of activity for the Confederacy west of the Mississippi, this East Texas town played a major role in the Civil War. Headquarters of the Trans-Mississippi Department Medical Bureau and Postal Service were here plus two military hospitals and a commissary bureau. An ordnance bureau, depot, arsenal, and laboratory produced and distributed powder, pistols, saddles, harness and clothing. Following the occupation of Missouri by Union forces, the governor and other officials of that state made this the wartime Confederate capitol of Missouri from November, 1863 to June, 1865. Three wartime conferences of governors and Confederate military officials of Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana and Missouri met here. One in 1862, resulted in the establishment of a separate department for these states. In 1863 military and civil authority was consolidated under Gen. E. Kirby Smith, commander of the department. On May 15, 1865, one month after Appomattox, discussion of continued resistance or surrender resulted in a stalemate. Prominent Confederates from Marshall were Edward Clark and Pendleton Murrah, wartime governors of Texas; Louis T. wigfall, a "state's rights" leader in the U. S. senate prior to secession and member of Confederate Senate; Dr. James Harper Starr, Trans-Mississippi postal agent; and Brigadier-Generals Matthew D. Ector, Elkanah Greer, Walter P. Lane and Horace Randal. This was the home of Lucy Holcomb Pickens, "Sweetheart of the Confederacy," the only woman whose portrait graced Confederate currency. Rather than surrender at War's end, a number of high-ranking Confederate military and civil officials began an exodus from Marshall to
Mexico. A Memorial To Texans Who Served The Confederacy

Marker Title: Marshall-Shreveport Stagecoach Road
Address:
City: Marshall vicinity
County: Harrison
Year Marker Erected: 1979
Designations: na
Marker Location: SH 43 at Pine Bluff Rd., 5.5 mi. NE of Marshall
Marker Text: Before the Civil War (1861-65), the stage road was the main transportation artery between Marshall and Shreveport, providing a link with New Orleans for distant markets. Extending northeast from Marshall, the stage road paralleled the later route of State Highway 43 and passed about 2.5 miles north of this site. Merging with the route from Jefferson, it turned southeast toward Waskom. In some areas, iron-rimmed wheels and horses' hooves trampled the narrow roadbed as much as 12 feet below the surrounding terrain. Travel over the dirt road was uncomfortable in dry weather and often impossible in rainy seasons. Regular stage service was established by 1850, with three arrivals and three departures weekly from Marshall. Arrival of the stage was a major event. At the sound of the driver's bugle, townspeople rushed to meet the incoming coach. By 1860 Marshall had several stagecoach lines and a network of roads. The Marshall to Shreveport line was operated by plantation owner William Bradfield and his son John. The stage continued to run during the Civil War, despite the shortage of drivers and horses. Use of the stage road declined after the war, when the Southern Pacific completed a rail line to Shreveport. (1979)

Resource Name: Mimosa Hall
Address: S of Leigh off SR 134
Architect: Webster,John Johnston
County: Harrison
City: Leigh
Architectural Style: GREEK REVIVAL
Narrative: Designed by its owner, John Johnston Webster, Mimosa Hall was completed in 1844 and constructed by slave masons trained by Webster, their master. The imposing Greek Revival structure served as the focal point for Webster's plantation, and even though the plantation's size has diminished from 3000 to 300 acres, it still retains much of its original character.

Tall brick pedestals with wrought iron urns mark the entrance to the plantation and a circular driveway provides an easy access to the house. When approaching from this driveway, the structure is obscured by the numerous mimosa trees which line the driveway, but as the road circles around to the main entrance, the house suddenly becomes visible revealing its fine masonry and balanced proportions.

Displaying a symmetrical five bay facade, the front or north elevation is dominated by a pedimented two-story portico with two large supportive Cyprus columns. The main entrance is complimented with sidelights and features fretwork at the top corners and decorative molding above the door. Although smaller than the main entrance, the second floor door exhibits similar detailing to the ground floor entrance. The original balcony was removed in 1932 when Mrs. D.V. Blocker bought the balcony now attached to the house from the old Porterfield house in Vicksburg, Mississippi. Displaying a suspended light fixture from its ceiling, the portico is flanked on each side by flat arched windows. The ground floor's 212 windows are taller than their second story counterparts; however, all of the openings are symmetrically placed and protected with wood shutters.

Originally a one-room deep structure with central hall plan, Mimosa Hall has experienced numerous changes and additions throughout its history. Although the north facade remains virtually unchanged, the east and west facades incorporate many new architectural elements and also maintain the building's symmetry. For example, the cornice terminates the gable roof on the north side and extends to the east and west facades in the form of eave returns. When the two-story rear addition was attached in 1932, the cornice and eave
returns were constructed too closely resemble the original detailing. Exterior chimneys pierce the peak of the gable roof on the east and west facades, and interior chimneys rise from the southeast and southwest corners of the rear addition.

The rear facade has undergone the greatest amount of alterations. Casement windows with non-operable shutters perforate the second floor and an unusual round-arch opening pierces the ground floor of the facade near the southwest corner. A one-story connecting wing united the original detached kitchen with the main house in 1905. Almost thirty years later, a two-story rear addition was built incorporating part of this wing. A modern kitchen and family room were attached at the rear about 1941 and the old kitchen became the family dining room. In 1954 garages were the final additions onto the rear.

One of Harrison County's earliest brick structures, Mimosa Hall represents a fine example of the Greek Revival plantation house of 19th century Texas. Nestled among numerous mimosa trees from which its name was derived, the imposing structure was constructed by John Johnston Webster to serve as the main house for his large plantation. The house has remained in the hands of Webster's descendants since its completion in 1844 and has served as an important social center in eastern Harrison County for many years.

John Johnston Webster, an affluent planter and builder, migrated to Harrison County in 1839. After acquiring large amounts of land, he and his slave-masons began constructing Mimosa Hall in 1840. His ability as a builder became known throughout the area and his talents were in great demand. Completion of Webster's own house was delayed when he and his slaves constructed a house for another Harrison County farmer/planter. Upon completion of this house in 1843, Webster turned once again to Mimosa Hall, and the following year, his home was finished.

The front facade has undergone little alteration since its completion, however, the replacement of the original second story balcony with the "Jefferson Davis Balcony" has received considerable local attention. Attached onto Mimosa Hall in 1932, the balcony was originally affixed to the Porterfield house in Vicksburg, Mississippi. Jefferson Davis delivered a major address from the balcony during the sedge of Vicksburg and when it was attached to Mimosa Hall, it became known as the "Jefferson Davis Balcony."

Mimosa Hall has been the meeting place for numerous parties and social gatherings throughout the years. Jefferson Davis' birthday is celebrated annually at the building.

Because of the tradition associated with the building and the lack of major alterations to the front facade, Mimosa Hall has been featured in many county historical homes tours and once provided the setting for a motion picture.

Marker Title: Swanson's Landing
Address:
City: Jonesville
County: Harrison
Year Marker Erected: 1969
Designations: na
Marker Location: on FM 134, about 1.5 mi. north of Jonesville
Marker Text: (Site 16 mi. NE; Historic Railroad Bed Here) A key port on Caddo Lake for traffic to New Orleans, 1830s-1860s. Founded by Peter Swanson (1789-1849), a civil engineer and planter. Cotton, pelts and other products went out and settlers' goods came in at this landing. 1850s terminal of Southern Pacific (first railroad in East Texas), built to Marshall from the landing. During Civil War, 1861-65, road was rerouted to haul troops between Marshall and western Louisiana. Later, port declined. Steamer "Mittie Stephens" on Feb. 11, 1869, burned near Swanson's Landing with loss of 69 lives.

Marker Title: James F. Taylor Lodge No. 169, A.F. & A.M.
Address: 200 W. Church
City: Hallsville
County: Harrison
Year Marker Erected: 1986
Designations: na
Marker Location:
Marker Text: Chartered in 1856 in the town of Ash Springs, this Lodge was named for James F. Taylor (1812-1889), a leading citizen, state legislator, and Mason. After the railroad bypassed Ash Springs in the late 1860s, the Lodge moved to the new town of Hallsville, where the members built a two-story lodge hall. The first floor of the building was used for a school, while the second
story was the Lodge meeting place. The Masons continued to operate the only school in town until 1915. Throughout its history the Lodge has been a leading force in civic activities. Texas Sesquicentennial 1836 - 1986

Marker Title: Texas & Pacific Depot
Address: N. Washington St. at Ginocchio
City: Marshall
County: Harrison
Year Marker Erected: 1985
Designations: Recorded Texas Historic Landmark
Marker Location:
Marker Text: Marshall's first railroad was conceived as a connection to Red River steamboat traffic. twenty miles of track were laid northeast to Swanson's Landing on caddo Lake by 1858. In 1871, the U. S. Congress authorized the Texas and Pacific Railway Company to build a transcontinental railroad, which would run along the 32nd parallel from Marshall to the West Coast. Two years later, the T&P moved its maintenance shops to Marshall. A new passenger depot was built here at the junction of the Texarkana and
Louisiana lines in 1911-12, where it was positioned to serve both routes. To complement the nearby Ginocchio Hotel and huge Texas & Pacific shop complex, and visually to terminate Washington Street from the Courthouse. The railroad's architect was influenced by the popular prairie school and combined abstracted renaissance and Mediterranean details on the brick and concrete structure. Prominent features include a tile roof and wood and plaster accents. A pedestrian tunnel was added for safety in 1940. The Texas & Pacific depot remains an important symbol of Marshall's relationship to the railroad, once its major employer and transportation source. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1985

Marker Title: Whetstone Memorial
Address: Courthouse lawn
City: Marshall
County: Harrison
Year Marker Erected: 1936
Designations: na
Marker Location:
Marker Text: In memory of Peter Whetstone and Dicey Whetstone, pioneer settlers in Harrison County. Donors in 1843 of the site of the City of Marshall, a part of the Peter Whetstone headright granted in 1838 by the Republic of Texas.