Eidson-Rice Building

Judge James Allen Eidson, a Confederate veteran and 1867 graduate of Wofford College in Spartanburg, South Carolina, came to Texas about 1869 after allegedly shooting a carpet bagger in his home state. He passed the Texas bar exam in 1870 and soon arrived in Hamilton, where he began practicing law and later became Associate Justice of the Court of Civil Appeals, 3rd District. In 1874, he married Charity Elizabeth Rice, daughter of early Hamilton settler James M. Rice. Eidson bought the lot for this building in 1875, owning the east half while his wife owned the west half. The building and its adjacent sister building were constructed about 1900. An early occupant was Wm. Connally & Co. Dry Goods, and over the years the building housed various retail stores, including a grocery store and more than one five-and-dime store. The property remained in the Eidson family until 2014, when it was sold to Christi Carr, who renovated the building and opened Rejuvenation Station, a day spa.

Hamilton, Texas · United States