Todd-McKay-Wheat House

Originally constructed before the Civil War and modified during the 1880s and again in 1909, this house is significant for its historical associations and as an evolutionary house form. In 1856, Mary Britt bought the property and married Judge William S. Todd, later a signer of the 1861 ordinance of secession. Although a structure may already have stood on the site, the increase in value when the Todds sold the property in 1858 points to construction of a house there during their ownership. North Carolina native Gilchrist McKay, also a signer of the secession ordinance, bought the property after moving to Marshall to establish a law practice. During his Confederate army service, he was captured at Arkansas Post, imprisoned at Camp Chase in Ohio, and killed in the 1864 Battle of Mansfield. The house was sold in 1869 as part of his estate. After a series of later owners, Naomi and William Wheat purchased the home, and most likely during their ownership from 1880 to 1888 the two-story, full-length front porch with turned wood posts and jig-sawn brackets was added in keeping with Victorian tastes of the time. In 1909, Oscar Brown bought the house and added a one-story section to the southeast corner. An engineer for the Texas and Pacific Railroad, Brown lived there with his family until 1926, then leased the house until selling it in 1970.

Marshall, Texas · United States