Matthew Cartwright House (Terrell, Texas)

The Cartwright house was built in 1883 for The Matthew Cartwright Family. Their ten children enjoyed the 7,000 square foot house. The Cartwright brother lived next door with nine children, so the house was always full of children playing from the fourth floor to the large yards.

The original house didn’t have a kitchen attached because everyone was very afraid of fire destroying their homes. The house under went changes in the early 1940’s when the two sisters inherited the house. They lived in the house until the 1980’s when a grandson inherited the house. The last thirty years the house had little or no maintenance.

The house has over 70 columns with a beautiful 2nd-floor balcony. The entry columns are 25 feet high. The Grand Entry and the front porch is covered in captivating tile using several shades of beige and brown tiles laid in a triangle design with a deep Victorian royal blue tile giving the regal feel to the large entry. The same tile was used in the Bishop Palace in Galveston, Texas. The entry has the original light fixture and walnut staircase that opens to the third floor.

The entry has an 1800’s American Pier Mirror flanked by two chairs with the egg motif often used by Mallard in the design of his furniture.

A square Empire table has a large floral and an 1850’s bronze calling card bowl. The double set of large doors opens into parlors with 1880’s furnishings and wooden a flat Grand piano by John Broadwood & Son of London England.

The house has nine fireplaces, many with Texas slate for the mantle, the other have period wooden mantles. The floors are original to the home, with inlaid parquet of oak and walnut.

The Sunroom has beaded walls, painted a soft white, the window accented with antique French panels of red etched glass that is very rare.

All the bedroom have period furniture each one is very different. The half tester has four matching pieces. The 1860 four poster from New Orleans was American made, the wardrobe and marble dresser are French.

The high Victorian bedroom suite came from a Doctor’s home in Oklahoma.

The dainty girl’s room has a 1900’s Suite with a very rare ladies hidden potty beneath a seat.

The third floor has the original beaded board wall and wood plank floors

The fourth floor has eight windows to view the beautiful yard. The backyard has an original Gazebo and a large tool house. The 1.3-acre yard has many old tree and hydrangea and azalea.

This house is a great piece of Texas and American history, it is on the Texas and National Registry of Historic Places.