Leake Building

Historical marker location:

211 E. Washington Avenue, Navasota, Texas

( 211 E. Washington Avenue, Navasota.)

Marker installed: 1978

Originally a one-story frame business house built in 1873 by Walter J. and Julia C. Peterson, this structure was enlarged in 1885. Native sandstone walls and a second story were added. John Wesley Leake (1852-1940), a builder, horse breeder, and race track owner, bought the property in 1886. He and his descendants owned the building more than 80 years. The Victorian commercial structure has housed many important firms.

Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1978.

commercial buildings markets, mercantiles

The first oil well in the United States was drilled in Texas in 1859. The discovery of oil transformed the economy of the state and helped to make Texas one of the wealthiest states in the nation.