Starr Family Home State Historic Site
Nestled in the heart of Marshall's museums and cultural activities, Starr Family Home State Historic Site is composed of several elegant structures that map the 150-year history of the Starr family in Texas. Period furnishings, clothing, and antiques trace the transition of the buildings through four generations of the Starr family.
The Starr Family Home State Historic Site, a Texas Historical Commission property, is located on 3.2 acres near downtown Marshall, Texas. The site interprets four generations of Starr family history and the 1871 family home of Frank Starr-Maplecroft mansion.
After the Civil War, in the midst of Reconstruction, the Starr family invested in Texas' largest natural resource, land. By acquiring land and through land management, the Starr family business was able to advertise "Over One Million Acres in 90 Counties." As a result of their land business, the Starr family was a major contributor to the growth of the railroad and cotton industries and the settling of the frontier of Texas in the late 1800s.
The Starr Family Home property consists of seven buildings, including the Rosemont Cottage and the Starr-Blake Home. These homes and outbuildings house the artifacts and collections, including original books, clothing and furniture of Starr family members from the late 19th century. Visitors can also view family portraits, Louis XVI-style furniture and Persian rugs added to Maplecroft by Ruth Starr Blake in the early 20th century. As a decorative arts enthusiast, she also amassed an impressive collection of Wedgewood china, Steuben and Venetian glass, and a large collection of porcelain birds. The house has been renovated to display these collections, while retaining its Victorian grace and superb workmanship of the 1870s.
Ultimately, the site was home to four generations of Starrs. Three separate households were maintained in different buildings for 130 years, the result of family members remaining close as generations of children grew up and had families of their own.
OUR MISSION
The mission of the Starr Family Home State Historic Site is stewardship of the historical structures, collections and grounds through preservation, conservation, interpretation and research. The site presents informative views of economic, political and social affairs during the following Texas eras: Reconstruction (1865-1874), Victorian (1875-1901) and 20th century.
Starr Family Home is a Texas Historical Commission (THC) property. The THC's mission is to protect and preserve the state's historic and prehistoric resources for the use, enjoyment and economic benefit of present and future generations.
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