Lawrence, Stephen Decatur, Farmstead
a.k.a. Opal Lawrence Historical Park
701 E. Kearney St., Mesquite, TXEstablished in 1874, the Stephen Decatur Lawrence Farmstead is a vital survivor of Mesquite's rich agricultural past. The farm complex consists of a modified frame, 1 1/2-story c. 1874 building, a c. 1882 2 1/2-story frame house, and its ancillary outbuildings including a large barn. The property stands out in the community for its longevity of operation and the extent of the preservation of the house and outbuildings. Constructed during the growing cotton industry on the blackland prairie, the house and its outbuildings relate directly to the pattern of events shaping rural life in Mesquite from the 1870s to the early 20th century. Stephen Decatur Lawrence's father initially broke the soil and began cultivating this land in 1846. As the residence of one of Mesquite's pioneer families, the property illustrates the cultural evolution of residents of Mesquite from a rough agricultural settlement to an established Dallas County community. The architectural features of the simple vernacular house structure and the relationship between the house and outbuildings illustrate how early settlers' buildings adapted to the physical characteristics of the area and their interrelated functions in the environment of agriculture. The property is eligible at the local level of significance for listing in the area of Agriculture and Architecture.
Local significance of the district:Listed in National Register of Historic Places in 1999.
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.