Berry House
a.k.a. Stephenville Historical House Museum
525 E. Washington St., Stephenville, TXThe Berry House is one of the few examples of residential Gothic Revival architecture in Texas and the oldest house in Stephenville. Reminiscent of the houses popularized in Andrew Jackson Downing's Cottage Residences of 1842, the Berry House is a graceful interpretation of the style sometimes called "English Cottage". It was the home of the influential John Berry family from 1869 to 1900.
Berry, an adopted son of the state of Texas, was born in 1820 in Morgan County, Alabama. From 1836 until 1868 Berry traveled throughout the South working first as a salesman in New Orleans. Later pursuits included agriculture, merchandising, and eventually law. Mary Elizabeth Wilkes was married to John Berry in 1844, in Marion County, Mississippi. The Berrys moved to Texas following his service in the American Civil War. Following a short stay in Waco, the Berrys moved to Stephenville where Colonel Berry established a law office and a bank. Upon the death of Mrs. Berry, in 1900, J. D. Berry sold the home, offices, and all their possessions.
Subsequent owners of the Berry Cottage allowed falling into disrepair until it was purchased by the City of Stephenville with the aid of Mrs. Birdie H. Frey in 1965. The cottage was restored through public donations sponsored by the Stephenville Study Club and serves as a historical house museum today.
Listed in National Register of Historic Places in 1980.
The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the Nation’s historic places worthy of preservation. Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America’s historic and archeological resources.