Historic Nacogdoches, a Sign and an Odd Building

The Adolphus Sterne House

Nicholas Adolphus Sterne and his wife Eva Catherine Rosine Ruff both immigrated from Germany. He built this house c. 1830 and here they had  seven children. He was active in the events of the Fredonia Rebellion in 1826 and the Texas Revolution from 1832 to 1836. He served as a primary judge, postmaster and in several of the congresses of the Texas Republic.  Parties, political gatherings and study sessions in this house included notables such as Sam Houston, Thomas J. Rusk and David Crockett. The house was conveyed to the City of Nacogdoches during the 1950’s.

The Hayden Edwards Inn

The original structure is thought to have been built about 1838. Not long after making his way to Nacogdoches Mr.Adolphus Sterne became involved in the Fredonia Rebellion, smuggling guns and ammunition in the bottom of coffee barrels to Hayden Edwards and the Fredonians. After the Texas Revolution Edwards served in the first Congress of the Republic of Texas and in the first and eighth Texas legislature after Texas was annexed into the United States.

Durst – Taylor Home

This structure is an excellent example of the simple story and half hall and parlor with engaged porch and shed rooms. This type of building was prevalent across the south from the 1820’s through the 1880’s. It was the the original home site of Anders De-Acosta, one of the original settlers of Nacogdoches. In 1870 Charles Taylor’s son Lawrence purchased the house. Charles Taylor was one of the signers of the Texas Declaration of Independence. Lawrence Taylor and his wife Harriet Durst Irions lived in the house until their deaths. It stayed in the family until 1989, when it was sold to McKinney Historical Foundation.

The Roland Jones House

Mr. and Mrs. Roland Jones engaged noted architect Diedrich Anton Wilhelm Rulfs to design and build this prime example of Victorian architecture.

Milam Lodge No.2, A.F.&A.M.

The Milam Lodge founded in 1837 by John Henry Holland operated in rented and donated facilities. In the 1920’s they erected the present lodge hall.

Memorial to the Space Shuttle Columbia Crew.

Between the Masonic Lodge and the driveway to the Commercial Bank and a beautiful brick and marble memorial to the crew who perished on the Space Shuttle Columbia. While you will not find this monument listed in any visitor information, Nacogdoches was the recipient of over 1,200 pieces of shuttle debris.

An old sign

And an odd building…

The silo is on top of the building housing a Mexican Restaurant.