George W. Fulton Mansion, Second Empire mansion in Fulton, United States.
The George W. Fulton Mansion is a four-story house in Fulton, Texas, designed in the French Second Empire style and topped with a mansard roof. It sits overlooking Aransas Bay and features tall windows along with ornate exterior trim from its original construction.
Colonel George Ware Fulton and Harriet Gillette Smith built the four-story house overlooking Aransas Bay between 1874 and 1877, naming it Oakhurst. The state bought the dilapidated house and 2.3 acres in 1976, restored it, and opened it to the public in 1983. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975 and transferred to the Texas Historical Commission on January 1, 2008.
The house was named "Oakhurst" by George and Harriet Fulton. It is one of the earliest Second Empire style buildings in Texas and among the most important of that style still standing in the Southwest. The May family, owners from 1952, planted the palms that still stand in front of the house.
The site offers guided tours that take visitors through the interior rooms and their original furnishings. Checking ahead about which areas are open on a given day is a good idea before making the trip.
When it was completed, the house had gas lighting, central heating, and hot running water in every bedroom, which was rare even in large cities during the 1870s. Some of these original systems are still visible during the guided tours.
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