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Housed in the historic Santa Fe-Frisco Depot, the Valley of the Caddo Museum & Cultural Center explores the history and culture of Lamar, Fannin, Delta, and Red River counties. Its exhibits highlight Native American culture, astronomy, art, archaeology, and natural history. It also offers a variety of educational programming for visitors of all ages. The depot itself was built in 1912 and served three railroads: St. Louis-San Francisco Railway (known as the Frisco), the Gulf, Colorado & Santa Fe Railway, and the Texas Midland Railroad. The depot is a fine example of Italianate and Prairie School architecture, featuring red brick exterior, a 77-foot-tall watchtower that mimics an Italian bell tower, and a tiled, hipped roof with overhanging eaves and brackets.
This local history museum offers a variety of exhibits that present the early history of Paris. Special exhibits focus on the life of early pioneers, military history, and the fire of 1916 that devastated but did not destroy to city. Several of the exhibits recreate the early cabins and homes of settlers in the 19th century, complete with authentic furnishings and signs that interpret the exhibits. There is also a special room dedicated to African American history, with many original photographs and documents of leading families and institutions.
First Presbyterian Church was built in 1892 and is historically significant as the oldest extant church in Paris and for its architecture. Designed in the Richardsonian Romanesque style, the most prominent feature of the church is its tall, four-story tower with round-head vents and bracketed cornice. Other interesting features include arched stained glass windows, a gabled entry porch, and a small cupola on the roof.
The Culbertson Fountain is located in a public square in the heart of Paris, Texas, and named after wealthy businessman and philanthropist, John James Culbertson (1853-1932). Culbertson arrived in Paris in the 1880s and helped build a mill and eventually built a very profitable cottonseed oil company. The fountain was built between 1924-1927 and was constructed with imported Italian Cararra marble. Near the fountain is a historical marker describing Culbertson's life and legacy.
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Erected in 1924, First United Methodist Church is one of the most striking landmarks in Paris, Texas. Architecture firm Vanslyke and Woodruff designed the stately building in the Mediterranean and Classical Revival styles. The building features an Indiana granite exterior, large pedimented porticos with Corinthian columns, palladian windows, arched openings, four small domes, and a large octagonal dome supported by a two-story structure with windows and decorative stonework. In addition, all the domes and other parts of the roof are covered in red tiles which helps to give the building its distinctive appearance. Inside, the church features stenciled detailing and decorative painting. The congregation was established in 1843 and continues to occupy the building.
One of the grandest historic homes in Paris, the Scott-Roden Mansion was built in 1910 by Rufus F. Scott, one of the wealthiest and most influential figures in the city during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The mansion currently operates as the Roden-Pryor Funeral Home. In terms of architecture, it features elements of the German Art Nouveau style as well as Dutch-style gables. Notable features include a porch that surrounds three sides, decorative terra cotta detailing on the porches and dormers, and a red tile roof. There is also a large carriage house on the property. The mansion was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.
This High Victorian Italianate-style home was built in Paris, Texas, in 1868 by the West Point graduate, U.S.-Mexican War veteran, Confederate general, and two-term Texas state senator Samuel Bell Maxey. Descendants of Maxey remained in the house until 1967, when the family donated it to the city of Paris, ensuring its preservation. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971, opened to the public for tours in 1980, and is now owned and maintained by the Texas Historical Commission. The site explores the real stories of a prominent Texas family and how they cherished and modified their Victorian residence and grounds to reflect changing styles and trends in architecture, interior design and technology. Visitors experience the family's daily life through original furnishings, clothing, and photographs.
This Tour is a Walking Tour.
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This short walk or drive begins at the Valley of the Caddo Museum and Cultural Center before moving east to the nearby Lamar County Historical Museum. Following these two museums, the tour stops at a pair of historic churches and then several landmark homes.
