Housed in both the 1900 Egypt Railroad Depot and the 1849 Heard Northington Home
It's rich history also still lives as the private home of six, generations
of Heard Northington descendents whose family built the plantation in
the early days of Mexico's Sovereignty Texas soil.
HEARD NORTHINGTON TEXAS FAMILY HISTORY
When Moses and son, Stephen F. Austin called for American Colonist to
move to Texas in the 1820's, husband and wife, Stephen Rhoades and Jemima
Menefee Heard and their ten children signed up with the Second Colonization
Group. They had known the Austin's for many generations from Virginia
and strove for more fertile land than their central Tennessee and later,
northern Alabama farms.
In 1830, Cpt. W.J.E. Heard, son of Stephen and Jemima, purchased 2,200
acres from John. C. Clark in 1830 for $ 111.00 in gold coins. Arriving
first in Jackson County where other family members had already settled,
Heard sought more fertile lands in then Colorado County (now Wharton
County.) He brought with him, his parents, nine siblings and slaves.
It was in the Egypt settlement that Heard constructed a double pen,
log home for his family, slave housing, sugar cane, corn and cotton
mills.
The property fronts the east bank of the Colorado River and contains
portions of the original Atascosita Trail that ran from Texana (Jackson
County, Texas) to Richmond (Ft. Bend County) crossing the Colorado River
at Mercer's Ferry. The significance of the location placed the Heards
at the crossroad of commerce both by river and road in rich River bottom
land. Maj. Andrew Northington maintained a Stage Coach from Houston
to Texana with a stop overs in Richmond and Egypt, across these trails
in the 1830's - 50's. The Heard and Northington families became good
friends through hard times resulting the marriage of Cpt. and American
Morton Heard's eldest daughter, Elizabeth, to Mentor Northington, son
of Andrew and Pricilla Dawson Northington.
Our family thrived even under the ravages of droughts, fevers and invasions
by Mexican Soldiers as they moved eastward to the final battleground
at San Jacinto. The Heards held to their Christian faith as leaders
and as a church home in the formation of the earliest Methodist Church
in the Stephen F. Austin Colony. As community builders our home was
the frequent site of strategic military planning to protect the colonial
families and defend the liberties of democracy during unsettled times.
After the establishment of Republic of Texas and later statehood, the
Heard Northington's continued to support the economic development of
the region and state not only their own enterprises but political systems
that support free enterprise.
EGYPT PLANTATION SETTING, OUTBUILDINGS and RANCHING OPERATIONS
Situated on a high point on Peach Creek above the east bank of the Colorado
River, Egypt Plantation remain nestled among mossy oaks, red cedars
and pecan trees. It fronts a slow highway but is set back, deep into
the shade taking advantage of the nearly constant coastal breezes.
FARMING and RANCHING
The Plantation homestead contains many of the outbuildings necessary for the operations of farming and ranching. Over the years the Plantation acreage grew from the original 2,500 to over 50,000 acres which various members of the family still remain a large part of today. Producers of Sugar Cane, Cotton, Corn, Pecans and later Rice, the farming operations changed over time with market.
The Heard Northington's ventured into both the cattle and horse
business even as early as the 1840's along with cousins, Joel and Rachel
Dawson Northington Hudgins of Hungerford, who later introduced Registered
Beef-type Brahman cattle to the United States and who's family still
operates one of the world's largest Brahman herds.
Working the cattle by horse, they also bred and trained Registered Quarter
Horses for herding the cattle (called a Cutting Horse) and racing in
Mentor Northington's nearby Horse Race Track (maintained until the 1950's).
Many of the Northington children grew up caring for, riding, showing
and even racing their fine livestock in regional races and shows including
the Houston Fat Stock Show.
1849 HEARD NORTHINGTON HOME
By 1849, Cpt. Heard complete the construction of a fine, one and half story, brick, Georgian Revival Home that still stands today. It contains four fireplaces to warm the parlor, dining room and the two, large downstairs bedrooms. The large central hall provided a cool breezeway while providing a stair made of curly pine to the second floor bedrooms. Originally both the front and rear of the house contained a porch. Today the enclosed, rear, porch has been enlarged to provide access to the kitchen and utility room, while also providing a comfortable "Keeping Room", breakfast room and master bedroom suite for modern use.
As our family grew and married into other families it furnished the
home with what has now become antiquities befitting the Empire Style
period of the home in more formal rooms. Other pieces include player
pianos, music boxes and a sixteen foot Brunswick Bar representing our
family's love of entertainment. Throughout the house are exhibits from
our personal collection of interesting things of days gone by both from
the "ranch" and the area.
For Group Tour Information Contact:
Anita and son, George H. Northington, IV., "Bud"
979-677-3232 979-677-3562 egypt@wcnet.net
1900 EGYPT DEPOT
The "Egypt Depot" was constructed in 1900 when G.H. Northington
and Green C. Duncan conveyed property and provided funds to build a
Depot in Egypt for the shipment of general store goods and farm products
into and out of their community. At that time Santa Fe Railroad Company
was purchasing the rail line from Cane Belt Railroad. The original 1893
rail line from Eagle Lake to what was known as the Cane Belt Railroad
Company's "Sugar Line". The Depot was closed in the late 1950's
after serving to transport both freight and passengers.
Picture of Interior Waiting Room with Ticket Door. Today, the wood frame
building remains virtually the same as it was - minus the loading docks
and rail line. Even the interior retains the original interior finishes
in the passenger waiting areas including the ticket door to the office
and baggage loading area.
The Egypt Museum has been open since 1950's at the Northington's General
Store in Egypt. However, it was in the 1950's when the Santa Fe Railroad
Company ceased operating the Egypt Depot on FM 102. That same year the
late George Heard Northington Jr. rescued the building for a Ranch Office
and moved it one quarter mile to the grounds of the historic 1848 Heard
Northington home on the 1830's Egypt Plantation in Egypt, Texas. Family
members and neighbors continued to add to the collection.
The Collection of Artifacts Include:
Relics from the
Heard, Northington, Hudgins and Duncan families of Egypt and Hungerford.
Ranching heritage
and plantation life is evident in the collection of tools, saddles,
tin bath tubs, photographs of prize winning horses and cattle and good
times spent on trail rides for the Houston Fat Stock Show.
Artifacts from the
Northington General Store in Egypt tell of the wealth of merchandise
available to their customers evidenced by the catalogue, dolls, house
wares and clothing.
Hunting lore from
days gone by to more recent times are all part of the museum exhibits.
The not for profit Egypt Plantation Museum, Inc. was established by the Northington family in 1990, for the purpose of preserving and enhancing the regional cultural heritage of Egypt Plantation through education and research.
For Information about Tours, Research & Living History Programs
and
Tax Deductable Donations
Contact:
Anita and son, George H. Northington, IV. "Bud"
979-677-3232 979-677-3562 egypt@wcnet.net