1898 Bert Brown House Saved From the Wrecking Ball!
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| Bert Brown House located on bluff overlooking Scott's Bay. On the shoreline is Ernest Crow and his children waiting in a wagon for a boat, the Onawa owned by Walter Brown, to bring supplies. |
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Bert Brown was 17 when he moved to Wooster, Texas in 1894 with his father, mother, and seven siblings from the Soldier Township in Iowa. Junius Brown, Bert's father, purchased the southeast half of the James Strange Labor, lying between the Nathaniel Lynch League on the west and the William Scott League on the east. This land was part of an original 1824 Mexican Land Grant to James Strange.
Several years after moving to Wooster, Bert met and married Orra Isenhour whose family came from Minnesota in 1897 and had purchased the Bayland Orphanage Home and its 300 acres on Black Duck Bay. Bert built his home in 1898 on the bluff overlooking Scott's Bay where he and Orra raised their four children: Francis, Howard, Alice, and Norman. Bert, was a rice farmer and one of the builders and board members of Wooster School. Bert's sister-in-law, Doris Isenhour Peterson, was one of the early teachers at Wooster School.
Mr. Brown was also one of the first board members of the Goose Creek School District. In 1919, when Goose Creek School District was formed, they wanted the one-room Wooster Schoolhouse. In exchange for the school, they agreed that one of the board members of Wooster School would serve on the board of the newly formed school district and Bert Brown was selected.
Mr. Brown's daughter, Alice, became a beloved school teacher who taught for over 37 years with the last 30 years being at David G. Burnet Elementary, which was located across Bayway Drive a little ways down from this house and also the house she and her husband Virgil Collins had built right down from her childhood home. Alice Brown Collins spent most of her childhood and adult life in one way or the other at Wooster School. As a child she was a student and as an adult she taught at Burnet Elementary who utilized Wooster School for a classroom, cafeteria, and music room.
Mr. Brown lived in his house until his death in 1968. After his death, the house was sold and moved to Arbor Street and had several owners and renovations.
Richard Duda who was the last owner of the house was selling his property to ExxonMobil. To keep this historical home from being demolished by ExxonMobil, Mr. Duda donated it to BHPA before he sold his land.
We are very grateful to all our donors who helped to save this house from the wrecking ball. It will still take us some time to recoup all of our expenses for the moving of the house and to raise the money to restore it to its 1898 appearance. Please click here for a donation form if you would like to be a part of this restoration project. All donations, no matter what size, are greatly appreciated!
Board members Diana "Sissy" Bevel and Patsy Lock did a fantastic job in spearheading the house move. Below are some photos of the move from Arbor Street to the Republic of Texas Plaza.
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