This Old House

A view of the Bates-Geers house, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, described as having significant Greek Revival architecture , and located in northeastern rural Texas county. The house was built in the early 1840's by Addison Bates, who moved to the area from North Carolina and built the first sawmill in this area. The huge fireplaces on either end are big enough inside to walk in, made of locally quarried sandstone and a third one is located in the main kitchen, on the far side of the house. To the right of the fireplace on this side is a second "summer kitchen" that is more open and was used in summer to keep from heating up the main kitchen and the rest of the building. The house was used as a stagecoach stop around the time of the civil war. There were also several other small houses, barns and out-buildings on the property, some of which were used as slave quarters, and have since fallen in and are no longer visible. After the war, it was sold to John Geers, a union soldier from Illinois who had been in the area during the war. He and his descendants lived here until the 1970's. At the time the documents were filed in the 1980's to have the house placed on the National Register of Historic Places, the owners stated it was their intention to have the house restored. This old house is huge and my photo of it does not nearly convey the massive size of the structure. This is for my friend Doug from MIT. Your info on the Cole house got me on the trail of this old place too! Thank you!

Explore #21 and FP on 12/16/2009! Thanks everyone!