The historic Murray Burleson home in Smithville, Texas is a two and a half story Queen Anne built between 1899 – 1903. This beautiful home may be the lone Victorian mansion on the Lower Colorado River. The home sits on 3 acres of riverfront property. The home is full of beautifully detailed woodwork carved from heart of pine, and pocket doors separate the front parlor from the entry and dining room. Most of the windows have original louvered shutters, including some that are shaped to fit the curved windows. The central staircase is a lavish, hand-carved centerpiece. The first floor has two living areas, a dining room with a built-in china cabinet, a library with Italian stained glass windows, a wet bar, a main kitchen, a back stairway, and 1-1/2 baths. The second floor has a large central foyer, two living areas, three bedrooms and three baths. There are a total of 7 fireplaces with Venetian tile and carved mantles.
Covered double porches wrap around half the home. A second kitchen was constructed from the second floor back porch and has a beautiful scenic view of the backyard that terraces down to the bank of the Colorado River. A cistern inside the back porch used to collect rainwater for the house water supply. It has several large live oak trees and once featured an orchard and gardens, irrigated from the river. An original carriage house also sits on the property. This unequaled Victorian home is truly a piece of Texas history. It was awarded a Texas Historical Building Medallion in 1962 and listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1995.
Murray Burleson was born in 1849 in Bastrop County. Burleson started his career as a ranch hand and successfully drove a herd of cattle to Kansas. After a decade in the livestock business, he partnered with his brother-in-law to open a mercantile store. Burleson learned of the approach of the Taylor, Bastrop, and Houston railroad, and worked with partners to purchase large tracts of land. A new town located adjacent to the railroad tracks was thereby platted. By negotiation and a gift of land, Burleson persuaded the railroad to construct a train depot at the new town site, and the TB&H steamed through in 1887. Almost overnight, the town flourished with new railroad workers, followed by commerce and service industries that supported the town’s incoming residents. He began construction of this splendid home in 1899.
Betty Saenz was the buyer’s agent for the Murray Burleson Home when it was recently sold. Betty has many years of experience in both listing Texas historic homes for sale and in helping homebuyers find the perfect Texas historic home for them. Contact Betty Saenz today!