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This is the Steamboat House. It was built in 1858 by Dr. Rufus Bailey as a wedding present for his son. Dr. Bailey felt the Texas architecture exhibited a "deficiency in architectural taste" and hoped that his design would encourage other builders to do the same. His son refused to move in.
The Houstons moved into the Steamboat House in 1862. Sam was elected Governor of Texas in 1859. But on March 16, 1861, he refused to take the Confederate oath of allegiance and was removed from office. The Houstons moved to Cedar Point, near Galveston (and now under water in the ship channel) to get away from the threats they were receiving in the capital. By the fall of 1862, is was obvious that the North would invade Galveston so Sam took his family back to Huntsville where they would be safer. Sam lacked the money and political clout to purchase the Woodland home back so they moved into the Steamboat House, which was only occasionally occupied by squatters at the time.
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