Have You Been to W.H. Stark House?

Have you been to or heard of W.H. Stark House in Orange, Texas? I live in Texas and have heard about this tourist attraction. But here's what I found about this famous Victorian landmark in Orange, Texas.

The W.H. Stark House is a 14,000 square-foot home built in 1894 in Orange, Texas, by William Henry Stark and his wife, Miriam M. Lutcher Stark, prominent philanthropists who occupied the home until 1936. Designed in the Queen Anne architectural style, the house features a distinctive turret, stained glass windows, and ornate woodwork in cypress and long leaf yellow pine. The home remained vacant until 1971, at which time a major ten-year restoration was commenced. The restored Stark House opened for public tours on February 10, 1981, and it remains open currently for public tours, allowing visitors to view the Stark family’s original furnishings and personal effects, as well as rare 18th and 19th century decorative arts. As the only surviving structure of many that once lined the tree-shaded, residential neighborhood in Orange, Texas, The W.H. Stark House is a unique testament to Texas’ social history and a point of interest to residents and visitors alike.

When you tour the home, you'll find that the Stark House holds a significant display of original family furnishings, china, silver, rugs, porcelains, glass, artwork, woodwork, and lighting. From the one-of-a-kind sterling silver tea service on the First Floor to the rare Napoleon death mask on the Third Floor, each level of the Stark House offers an extraordinary glimpse at the lifestyle of the prominent timber family who occupied it from 1894-1936.

The W.H. Stark House is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and designated as a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark by the Texas Historical Commission. It is operated as a program of the Nelda C. and H.J. Lutcher Stark Foundation, a private foundation established in 1961 by H.J. Lutcher Stark, the only surviving child of W.H. and Miriam Stark.

Very interesting indeed. So the next time you're planning to visit Texas, why not go to Orange, Texas? They got lots to offer to tourists- including the beauty that is W.H. Stark House!