Roberts, Dr. Rufus A., House

Built around 1884 at 210 South Broad Street in Cedar Hill, this two-story wood-framed house is described as the oldest and most architecturally ornate house in the city. It has cypress lap siding, a one-story rear wing, a mansard roof originally topped with a widow's walk, and two-over-two double-hung windows with simple drip molds. A two-story front bay window gives it its Stick Style character. The gable carries locally crafted bargeboard and a Palladian window with art glass, and the shed-roofed porch has turned posts on brick piers with sunburst brackets. Structural evidence suggests the bay window was added after the house was built and the porch was remodeled later, probably shortly after 1900. The house belonged to Dr. Rufus A. Roberts, who came to Cedar Hill in 1859, served in the Civil War, then practiced medicine and opened a drug store. He helped bring the railroad to town and kept practicing until about 1900, when he passed the practice to his son. The property sits on a .35 acre tract.