The McFaddin-Ward House in Beaumont displays the opulent living conditions of the very rich in the early 20th century, but also tells the story of a pioneer Texas family.
The McFaddins moved into the three-story, Beaux-Arts Colonial mansion in 1907 and occupied it for the next 75 years.
Decorated with furnishings from the late Victorian era to the 1950s, the house was left as it was when the last McFaddin turned over the keys to a foundation that maintains the property.
The house is filled with rare items that illustrate the finest of the decorative arts of the time. Quite often the furnishings seem more for style than function. Still, the tours, with COVID-19 precautions, are a walk through a beautiful time capsule.
The McFaddins arrived in Southeast Texas in 1823. William (1819-1897) fought at the Battle of San Jacinto as a teenager and became a rancher and land speculator. His sons, James (1840-1916) and William Perry Herring, known as “Perry” (1856-1935), continued the family business. The elder brother moved to the Victoria area, and Perry stayed in Beaumont. Perry’s daughter, Mamie McFaddin Ward, was the last to live in the mansion.
In 1901, Spindletop, the gusher that ushered in the Texas oil boom, was on McFaddin land. Over the years the family’s businesses included banking, oil, rice, meatpacking, muskrat farming, and a lot of ranches. Former McFaddin-owned land became Port Arthur, Sea Rim State Park, McFaddin National Wildlife Refuge, and parts of other coastal refuges.
The McFaddin-Ward House is at 1906 McFaddin Ave. The museum is currently offering free self-guided audio tours Wednesday through Saturday. For information, call 409/832-2134 or go to www.mcfaddin-ward.org.
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This article appears in March 5 • 2021.
