Woodland is a historic house on the grounds of

Sam Houston State University Sam Houston State University (Sam Houston, SHSU or Sam) is a public research university in Huntsville, Texas, United States. Founded in 1879, it is the third-oldest public college or university in Texas. It is one of the first normal schools wes ...

Huntsville, Texas Huntsville is a city in and the county seat of Walker County, Texas, United States. Its population was 45,941 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is the center of the Huntsville United States micropolitan area, micropolitan area ...

. Built in stages beginning about 1847, it was the residence of

Sam Houston Samuel Houston (, ; March 2, 1793 – July 26, 1863) was an American general and statesman who played a prominent role in the Texas Revolution. He served as the first and third president of the Republic of Texas and was one of the first two indi ...

from 1847 to 1859. The house is now part of Sam Houston Memorial Museum, and is a

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a National Register of Historic Places property types, building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the Federal government of the United States, United States government f ...

Description and history

Woodland is the centerpiece of the museum property at the southeast corner of the Sam Houston State University Campus. It is a -story log structure, finished in wooden clapboards and covered by a gabled roof. It is a classic

dogtrot house The dogtrot, also known as a breezeway house, dog-run, or possum-trot, is a style of house that was common throughout the Southeastern United States during the 19th and early 20th centuries. Some theories place its origins in the southern Appala ...

, with a central breezeway flanked by rectangular log chambers, with brick chimneys at the ends. A shed-roof porch extends in front of the breezeway, supported by square posts. The breezeway includes a winding staircase which provides access to loft spaces used as bedrooms. The house was little more than a single-room log cabin when Sam Houston began enlarging it in 1847. In that year, he added the breezeway and second log structure. Later alterations improved the upper level, including construction of the staircase, and apparently reversing the front and back of the house. Houston's family occupied the house until 1859, the period during which he served as a

United States senator The United States Senate consists of 100 members, two from each of the 50 U.S. state, states. This list includes all senators serving in the 119th United States Congress. Party affiliation Independent Senators Angus King of Maine and Berni ...

, and as

Governor of Texas The governor of Texas is the head of state of the U.S. state of Texas. The governor is the head of the executive branch of the government of Texas and is the commander-in-chief of the Texas Military Forces. Established in the Constit ...

. Houston's signature achievements, the independence of Texas and its subsequent annexation to the United States, happened before he took up residence here. The house is now accompanied by a reconstruction kitchen outbuilding, as well as the restored cabin that he used as a law office.

References

External links

Sam Houston Memorial Museum
{{Authority control Houses completed in 1847 Historic house museums in Texas National Historic Landmarks in Texas Museums in Walker County, Texas University museums in Texas Biographical museums in Texas Sam Houston State University Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Texas 1847 establishments in Texas Sam Houston National Register of Historic Places in Walker County, Texas Dogtrot architecture in Texas

Description and history

See also

References

External links