2022-09-24 Goodman-Legrand House and Historic Site

After a delicious breakfast of blueberry pancakes and sausage at the pavilion Saturday morning, a number of us set out to do some siteseeing. We met up at the Goodman-Legrand House. Renae, a guest at the rally rode with Elaine and I. One the way there, she mentioned that she wasn't sure where the GPS was taking us but this definitely wasn't the best part of town. We made a few road corrections based on her knowledge of the area and made it just fine to meet up with the others.

We entered from the parking area at the back of the house but this is the front. It is a beautiful home. It started as a one story 4 room house build on 9 acres by Samuel Gallatin Smith. Purchased by Franklin Gary in 1861, it was sold to Dr Samuel Goodman after the war in 1861. Dr William Goodman purchased the home from his father for his new bride Mary Gastin upon their marriage in 1867. 

The Goodman's raised three children here, Sallie, Will and Etta. The second story was added around 1880 in the "Texas Colonial" style. Sallie married James LeGrand in 1893 and continued to live in the house which she inherited when her father died in 1921. It was remodeled in 1926 to add the two-story columns and rounded porticos in the Greek revival style resulting in the way it looks today.

We had a personal tour of the house with a guide who knew all the history of everything we saw. We also got a group photo on the grand staircase.

                                               

All the downstairs rooms opened off the large central hallway area and were used for different purposes by the different families but they were all good sized rooms.

Sallie Goodman LeGrand donated the 9 acres and the home with all the original family furnishings to the city of Tyler with the intent that her home be used as a museum for future generations to enjoy.

Two of the downstairs rooms were set up as parlours as two of the different families would have had them.

The dining room was all set up with the family china. There were actually several sets. One of the sets in a china cabinet was painted by Sallie and was beautiful.

The bedrooms were all upstairs once the second story was added.

Sallie and her husband did not have any children and the baby bed was lowered to the ground for her little dog.

The beds were very unique in design.

There were also a number of women's dresses from earlier times on display.

Every room had a fireplace but they were gas in later years not wood.

We got one more picture outside. It was a beautiful day and we all enjoyed the tour. 

We had lunch at ETX Brewery in downtown Tyler. It was interesting. They had various kinds of food. Some ladies had lunch while others had their big soft pretzels. I had their fantastic apple bread pudding.