{"nrhp_refnum":"69000209","name":"Freeman Plantation House","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"0.8 mi. W of Jefferson on TX 49","address_restricted":false,"city":"Jefferson","county":"Marion County","state":"TX","lat":32.763558928000066,"lon":-94.37010765399998,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1969-11-25","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["state"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A Greek Revival raised cottage plantation house built around 1850, located about 0.8 miles west of Jefferson on Highway 49 in Marion County, Texas. William M. Freeman began building it after buying the land in 1850.","why_significant":"The nomination cites the house as an excellent example of Greek Revival architecture with strong Louisiana influence and notable nineteenth-century wood craftsmanship. It also highlights its builder, William M. Freeman, a planter and businessman, and the house's social history. It was designated a historic landmark by the Texas State Historical Survey Committee in 1965.","narrative":"Built around 1850 west of Jefferson, Texas, this plantation house is a Greek Revival raised cottage with a strong Louisiana influence. A brick basement rises a full story above ground, and the main living rooms sit in a one-story wooden level above it. A central hall divides four large chambers on each floor, and a tetra-style portico with massive circular brick columns marks the north front. Inside, folding paneled doors, a carved segmental-arched screen and fine mantels and door frames show exceptional woodwork. William M. Freeman bought the land in 1850 and began construction, with enslaved laborers cutting the timber and making the brick on the plantation. Freeman grew cotton, owned waterfront warehouses and a freight boat, and helped found the East Texas Manufacturing Company. The family entertained widely, and Louisiana friends stayed during the Civil War. Later owners restored the house, and it received a Texas historical landmark designation in 1965.","period_of_significance":"19th Century","architect_builder":"William M. Freeman (owner and builder; slaves cut timber and made brick on the plantation)","architectural_style":"Greek Revival raised cottage","criteria":[],"status_note":"Described as in an excellent state of repair and restored by recent owners; used as a private residence.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:54:19.127415-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/2/9729/40972902/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_TX/69000209.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/69000209/eb82f0bc02-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/69000209/eb82f0bc02-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Clarence Bulger","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Freeman_Plantation_House,_Jefferson,_Texas.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Clarence Bulger</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Freeman_Plantation_House,_Jefferson,_Texas.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/40972902","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freeman_Plantation","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q22073200"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/texas/marion-county/freeman-plantation-house-69000209/"}