The Fulton Mansion -- Rockport TX
N 28° 03.453 W 097° 02.090
14R E 693138 N 3105135
The Fulton Mansion is one of the finest examples of French Second Empire home architecture in Texas, and well worth a tour when in Rockport TX.
Waymark Code: WMFDEP
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 10/02/2012
Views: 13
From the Texas Historical Commission website:
Fulton Mansion State Historic Site, a Texas Historical Commission property, is located in Aransas County in the small town of Rockport, about 35 miles north of Corpus Christi. The 2.7-acre coastal site is a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark and listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
The distinctive mansion was restored in 1976-1983 and opened to visitors as a historic house museum in 1983. Today, the doors of the Fulton Mansion are still open to the public, and its library, parlor, dining room, sitting room, bedrooms and bathrooms are available for exploring, offering a rare glimpse into the posh Victorian world of a prominent South Texas family at a time when interior gas lighting and flush-toilets were progressive for this part of Texas. Learn about George Fulton’s engineering skills, take a walk through Harriet Fulton’s gardens and hear the stories of living in a grand Victorian villa. An Education and History Center is located behind the mansion with interactive exhibits and a gift shop.
In 1840, East Coast entrepreneur George W. Fulton married Harriet Smith, daughter of powerful Republic-era politician Henry Smith. After Harriet’s father died, Fulton turned Harriet’s land inheritance on Aransas Bay into a ranching and meatpacking empire as part of the Coleman-Fulton Pasture Company. During the 1870s, the Fultons made their fortune shipping cattle tallow and hides between Rockport and New Orleans. To symbolize their success, they built a mansion called Oakhurst. The mansion was built over a period of three years, 1874–1877, and was the showplace of the town named for them.
Fulton was a man of many talents who achieved some success as an engineer and inventor as well as a ranching entrepreneur and promoter of the Texas Gulf Coast. Harriet Smith Fulton was a devoted wife and companion throughout their marriage of more than 50 years, with many talents and skills of her own. Their bayside residence is a classic example of French Second Empire domestic architecture and is also a very personal and innovative dwelling. The historical significance of the house lies in its noteworthy architectural style, unique construction methods and advanced mechanical systems — which featured gas lighting, central heating and indoor plumbing with hot and cold running water — and includes the history of the Fulton family who built it and lived in it for 18 years. [End]
The Fulton Mansion is remarkable for what it had in the 1870s that we take for granted today: like hot and cold running water, flush toilets, and a central heating system. Another modern wonder that the Fulton's enjoyed at home - gas lights -- is a reminder of the 1870s era that the house was built in.
Public/Private: Public
Tours Available?: Yes
Year Built: 1877
Web Address: [Web Link]
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