A beauty in Brenham: $1.1M Victorian-era estate listed on National Register

HOUSTON – On the market for $1,100,000, the Wood–Hughes House, a palatial, three-story mansion on a large corner lot in South Brenham, has a long, rich history.

Built in 1897 for W. A. Wood and his wife Fannie Wheeler, the house is an elaborate example of Queen Ann and Eastlake Victorian architecture. Queen Anne features include the turret on the southeast corner while Eastlake features include the spindle-and-ball balustrade and decorative brackets. A lumber yard owner, Wood used fine materials for his home--oak, heart pine, Louisiana cypress--and had siding milled to simulate cut stone.

The home was sold 1913 to planter-rancher Henry W. Hughes and wife Bess Thornhill, whose family owned it for 58 years, before selling in 1971 to Kenneth E. and Fonda Rich.

The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1990. In its registration form for the National Register, the home is described as being in “excellent condition” and is said to retain “most of its original architectural features and continues to reflect the eclectic and asymmetrical spirit of the [Victorian] style.”

Inside, the home is as ornate as it is on the outside. The floorplan extends 4,487 square feet and includes four bedrooms, four full baths, two parlors and two large foyers. The first floor retains its original painted tin ceiling, pressed into elaborate designs, pine flooring, and transom and stained glass windows. An elaborately carved stairway near the main entry leads to the second floor. There are numerous fireplaces in the home.

Outside, there ‘s a gazebo, rose garden and 5-car garage with attached carport.

The listing is represented by Shelly Moschak of Legend Texas Properties. For more information on the listing, click here or call (979) 251-1343.

The home is walking distance to Brenham’s historic downtown district.

Regarding the home, the sellers says this: “No Federal funding has been received from any historical commission so there is no approval required to make any changes to the home; however, any major structural changes to the outside, that affect the historical status, could result in the loss of the historical plaque.”

Words don’t do justice to this stunning space. For a virtual tour of the Wood–Hughes House, scroll below.