Chambersea

Chambersea, once the homestead of General Thomas Jefferson Chambers and his family, was constructed in 1845, an early wood frame house fashioned after Greek Revival principles of symmetry and decorated with architectural elements often found in Louisiana Greek Revival forms. The homestead, while in operation as such from 1840-1865, was a self-sustaining plantation including the growth of fine livestock and cotton for clothing. Design and construction were authored by General Chambers who intended to manifest in the physical appearance of the house features which were significant to his "beloved Texas." This attitude is most notable in the circular window of the west eave bearing a five-pointed star, the Texas emblem) and by the siting of the house where several waterways meet a bay off of the Gulf of Mexico. The owner and his family, who originally occupied the house, are of great significance for active participation in establishing early legal land rights for colonists settling in Texas.

General Chambers, son of Thomas and Mary Gore Chambers, was born in Virginia on April 3, 1802. Sometime after his father's death in 1815 Chambers moved to Kentucky with his family where he attended an academy taught by his brother for one year. He had additional schooling by Joshua Wordly. He taught school until he was admitted to the Bar in Kentucky and Alabama. Early in 1826, he went to Mexico where he studied the Spanish language and Mexican law. He was appointed Surveyor General of the State of Coahuila and Texas to accompany Juan Antonio Padilla in the establishment of a colonization system. On February 12, 1830 Chambers and Padilla received an impresario contract to introduce eight hundred families into Texas; however, the land granted to them lay in present Oklahoma and Kansas, so the contract was never fulfilled.

In February of 1834 Chambers was made State Attorney General of Coahuila and Texas and helped frame a judicial code for the state. In June of 1834, he was appointed Judge of the Court (Superior Judicial Court) but because of side orders precipitated by the removal of the Capitol from Saltillo to Monclova, it was impossible for him to organize the court and he was never able to assume the duties of the office. He received five leagues of land for his services as a judge; other land granted to him totaled thirty leagues or approximately 137,268 acres and was surveyed in present Milam, Travis, Hays, Navarro, Ellis, Galveston, Liberty, Chambers, San Jacinto, and Trinity Counties.

He took an active part in the events leading up to the Texas Revolution. He proposed to the government that he use his land as security to raise men and arms for the Texas cause, and on January 7, 1836, the General Council commissioned him a "Major General of Reserves" and sent him to the United States to procure volunteers and munitions. He was given Bounty Certificate No. 41 for 1,280 acres as compensation for army service from January 9, 1836, to January 7, 1837. His diary, written during this time, is a complete record of his travels in connection with this commission.

In his report to Congress on June 3, 1837, Chambers stated that he had dispatched 1,915 volunteers to Texas, had spent $23,621, and had sold bonds amounting to $9,035. Congress directed the auditor to settle the account and adopted a resolution of thanks to Chambers. He later claimed rank as Commanding Major General of the Texas Army and engaged in a bitter newspaper dispute with David G. Burnet over that claim.

In 1839 he established himself at Round Point in Liberty County, now Chambers County. There were several controversies over his claims to property in that area, namely by Charles Willcox and William M. Logan (1838). Both men publicly warned anyone from buying land in this area from General Chambers stating their beliefs that the league was unrightfully owned by Chambers. Another man, John O'Brian stated in 1842 his acquisition of the league purchased in public auction to specifically include the residence of General Chambers and the entire city of Anahuac.

It is thought that these land disputes led to the assassination of Chambers at his home in Anahuac (Chambersea) on March 15, 1865. He was first buried in a small cemetery near the home and later moved to Galveston by his widow.

General Chambers destiny was hopelessly studded with legal entanglements when he died. His claims to land where the Capitol of Texas now stands had not been settled. It was 1925 before this claim was finally settled. To date, Chambers vs State of Texas is the longest-standing land dispute case in the state's history.

The house was purchased by Chambers County as a park project in 1943. It was used as a temporary office for County Treasurer and a temporary home for the county Library collection. Occasional use of the house provided a meeting place for various civic groups. Presently it is used as a place for sorting archival records.

Restoration of the building is planned. However, existing size and material usage seem appropriate with minor changes to the enclosed back porch to create a more compatible architectural treatment.