Fulton Mansion State Historic Site, Fulton/Rockport, Texas

The Fulton Mansion was built by George Fulton overlooking Aransas Bay in 1874 and finished in 1877. George Fulton was an important figure in establishing Rockport's shipping industry during the late 1800s. The mansion is a classic example of Second Empire-style architecture and has been well preserved over the decades. Its original name was Oakhurst for the majestic live oak trees surrounding the property.

The Fultons were active participants in the Rockport local scene, and Oakhurst was perfect for entertaining. They decorated their home in the highest fashions of the day, and included many modern comforts, such as gas lighting, central hearing, and running water. The house was built to withstand hurricane-force winds. The basement and floors of the bathrooms and conservatory are made of shellcrete, a concrete-like material containing oyster shell aggregate instead of gravel. The upper walls and floors were constructed by stacking and spiking pine planks.

George Fulton was born in Philadelphia in 1810. Orphaned at 16, he trained as a watch and instrument maker and throughout his life patented inventions. In 1836, he lived in a small town in Indiana when residents of Texas declared independence from Mexico. George was attracted by the Texas cause. He gathered a group of volunteers to fight in the Texas Revolution. They came to Texas in a flatboat down the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers.

Described as a talented artist and an ingenious and very correct man, George worked as a teacher, machinist, structural engineer, bridge builder, and railroad superintendent.

Texas is where George met Harriett. She was 17 when she met George and they married in 1840 in Brazoria. They eventually had six children -- four boys and two girls. Of those children, two sons and both daughters survived to adulthood, married and had children of their own.

They left Texas in 1846 to seek other opportunities, but eventually returned to Texas in 1867. During the 1860s the Fultons lived in Kentucky, where George worked on the Covington-Cincinnati Suspension Bridge.

Covington-Cincinnati Suspension Bridge

Back in Texas, George Fulton was involved in many different business, from meat packing and shipping the processed beef and live cattle. The Coleman-Mathis-Fulton Cattle Company served as the agent for a large shipping company, the Morgan Steamship Company. They directed shipments of cattle and processed byproducts from the region to New Orleans and Cuba.

In 1868, Harriet received a vast land inheritance and she and George finally returned to Texas to oversee the property. Always ready for the next adventure, George saw the family's move back to Texas as an opportunity to add to his wife's inheritance of 28,000 acres. Within a few years, George joined two associates in establishing the Coleman-Mathis-Fulton Pasture Company. Later, the company became a leader in the cattle industry, making changes that are still evident in South Texas ranching today. Bolstered by their bright business prospects and their vast land holdings, the Fultons began building Oakhurst in 1874.

The Fultons also worked to bring economic opportunities to Texas. Nothing brought prosperity to a small town like a railroad line. Knowing this, the Coleman-Fulton Pasture Co. gave land to the San Antonio and Aransas Pass Railway, which completed a rail line through the area in 1888.

Suddenly shipping goods was much easier, as was the transportation of tourists to this little piece of coastal paradise. Rockport rapidly grew as a fishing, hunting and beach resort destination.

His company pioneered changes in ranching that still affect south Texas. They built some of the first range fences in the area and used barbed wire fencing as soon as it became available. Other things he promoted were: purchasing full-blood Durham and Hereford bulls to upgrade the herd; selling off old and infertile cows; fencing sprawling range land into smaller, more manageable pasture areas; drilling water wells and using windmills to supplement the water supply; and growing corn and grain sorghum to enhance the diet of cattle.

In 1878, the company installed the first telephone in Rockport. They used the first phone circuit in this part of the state to connect the Rockport office with the ranch headquarters at Rincon Ranch.

The Coleman-Fulton Pasture Company became a leader in processing cattle for hide, tallow, hooves, and horns. These raw materials were shipped out of Rockport-Fulton to be turned into manufactured goods.

George and his son James held various patents and collaborated on others. Some of the patents they had were for mechanical refrigeration, water elevator (wind-powered water pump for his ranch), steamboat propeller, and building bridges.

In 1893 at the age of 83, George Fulton died at Oakhurst. After his death, Harriet left the home and never returned. She reflected, "Although it is such a lovely house, I have not the slightest desire to ever live there again. The charm has fled for all time." She died in 1910.

One of the lasting legacies of the great storm of 1919 is the Windmill Tree. When the Fultons lived in the Mansion, George Fulton installed a windmill in the back of the house to pump water to the third floor. The windmill remained after the Fultons sold the mansion to the Davidsons in 1906. 

On September 14, 1919, a hurricane hit the area and lifted the windmill blades from the tower and crashed them into a live oak tree behind the mansion. The storm placed the windmill blades so securely that it is still visible there today.

The only time the blades have been disturbed was during Hurricane Harvey 98 years later, when part of the axel broke off. In the summer of 2019, almost a century from the time the windmill was placed in the tree, news came that the insurance company wanted the windmill to be removed.

The Fulton Mansion's own Mary Alvarez began a campaign to save the windmill tree. Through social media and local newspapers, hundreds took up the cause to save the windmill. These efforts succeeded and the windmill remains for future generations to see.

The windmill tree is a living symbol of the resilience of this community. From the great storms of 1919 to 2017 and all those in-between and beyond, Rockport has proven its strength and ability to bounce back from devastation bigger and better than ever.

All of the above was found at the Visitor's Center of the Fulton Mansion. Now we walk across the street to the actual mansion and tour the house itself. Walking in through the back door, we are greeted by a docent who walks with us while we tour the house.

Dining Room

The dining room and its adjacent seating in the bay window were the heart of the Fulton's home. Family would have gathered here and friends and guests would have been entertained with fine foods ranging from their own ranch beef to items imported from New Orleans and farther away. The dumbwaiter in the Butler's Pantry brought food up from the kitchen in the basement.

Side Hutch with desserts

Side Kitchen

Butler's Pantry

Conservatory

With her love of plants and gardening, the Conservatory was one of Harriet's favorite rooms. In an 1863 letter to George, she wrote "... I feel sometimes as if I would like to live out of doors among the wild flowers, or in a greenhouse, where I could watch and promote the groth(sic), and improvement, of every plant, the forming and expanding of every bud, from the most tiny forget me not up to the grandest and most noble of flowers."

Parlor

The Fultons often held parties and social gatherings for their friends and acquaintances. This formal room would have been the center point of these gracious events, and served the family on special occasions like Christmas.

Piano in the Parlor

Library

This was George's office and served as a gathering place for gentlemen after dining.

Family Bedroom

George and Harriet's daughter Annie often house sat when they were traveling. Family tradition says that Annie gave birth to her last child while staying at the mansion. The Fultons had 16 grandchildren born between their four surviving children. While family often came to visit, some of their children had their own homes nearby in Rockport-Fulton.

Toilet with water closet

Bath tub

This house has two and a half bathrooms with hot and cold running water, three flush toilets, and a septic tank buried outside. Rain water collected from the roof fed the toilets, tubs, and sinks. Corner sinks can also be found in the bedrooms that are not connected to the bathroom, like the Guest Bedroom, Exhibit Room, and Tower Room on the third floor.

Master Bedroom

This was George and Harriet's bedroom. It was where Harriet tended to her correspondence and household business.

Guest Bedroom

From the original invoices we know that Harriet spent more money on the furnishings for this guest bedroom than she spent on her own master bedroom. This room, along with the entire house, was meant to impress their many guests.

After all the people who lived in the house passed on, the Fulton Mansion sat empty for many years. In 1976 there was even a trailer park in the front yard.

In 2013, after 30 years of harsh coastal conditions, the state closed the mansion for almost three years to repair the decaying structural supports and other serious issues. The cost of this restoration was $3.4 million. The restoration included new windows, a new roof, new air conditioning and duct work, removal of rusting structural beams, exterior wood repairs to siding and decorative elements, installation of sump pumps to relieve flooding in the basement, and repairs to water-damaged plaster.

The workers used a labor intensive process to repair every exterior wood element on the house. Original I-beams had rusted to a point that the foundation was compromised. Many beams were removed and replaced with concrete and others were reinforced with new stainless steel supports.

As with all construction projects, there are surprises and challenges. The first major surprise was the amount of wood damage caused by Formosan termites, a species with large colonies and the ability to consume wood at a rapid rate.

The walls and floors reflect George Fulton's engineering experience. The walls are made with 1-1/2 x 5" pine planks laid on top of each other to make a solid wall. The floors also use the 1-1/2 x 5" pine planks stacked and laid on their sides to create similarly solid floors.

Inside the wall

Throughout the house, the solid wood walls are covered with cypress lathing strips, three coats of rough plaster with horse hair for the binding, and then a top coat of fine plaster to make a smoothly finished wall.

Inside the floor

Weird insulation: This house has crushed oyster shells in the floors to help insulate the house. Today we use materials made of fiberglass, recycled newspaper, and blue jeans, and even foam, but never shells. The oyster shells help stop cold air, loud noises, and fire from moving between the floors.

Fireplace -- before and after 

Bathroom vanities -- before and after

After I went through the house, I went outside to head to the basement. There is a way into the basement from the main house, but it is closed to visitors, so the only way to the basement is through the basement door.

The mansion's basement functioned as the service area for tasks such as laundry and food preparation. When the state purchased the mansion in 1976, most of the service equipment was removed. For almost 30 years the basement was closed to visitors until the restoration in 2015.

Laundry Room

During the Victorian era, laundry was an exhausting chore that took two days. Unlike present day washing machines, the laundresses used hand-cranked models that required back-breaking muscle power to operate. It was a thankless job, which made the laundresses in high demand, especially in a household that had many houseguests.

Laundresses that worked for several families could earn more than other servants. Mrs. Rose worked at the Fulton mansion as a laundress for about nine months, as well as a few other households, earning $3 a week. This was double what a Fulton's laundress, Tiny, was paid 20 years earlier. Tiny earned only $1.50 per week by washing and ironing for the Fultons two days a week, as well as baking and cleaning on Saturdays.

Cistern

This is one of two rooms built to hold water. The other room contained modern mechanical systems that are needed today. The opening that is allowing you to look into this room would not exist during the Fulton's era. This solid shellcrete room could hold almost 4,600 gallons of water. It was also the over-flow tank for the other room that held 4,600 gallons of water as well.

Pantry

The pantry is where supplies and nonperishable foods were stored. Harriet did not need to leave her home to buy food and supplies because her son-in-law, Charles M. Holden, owned a grocery store in Fulton. Harriet had the convenience to send Charles a shopping list and he would deliver her food and supplies by wagon.

"The store of C.M. Holden, at Fulton, is now groaning under the weight of a full supply of edibles. The little cream ponies are now in hand every day delivering fresh groceries to his customers. If you want anything in in his line (and you do) I tell you this is the place to get it, and make no mistake, and don't you forget it." ~~ Rockport Transcript, Oct. 13, 1881

Furnace Conservation

The original cast iron heating furnace deteriorated from long-term use and salt corrosion. The furnace was removed and sent to the Conservation Research Laboratory at Texas A&M University for treatment. After extensive conservation work, a new stand was created to support the furnace back in its original location.

Fuel storage ~~ fuel for the furnace and kitchen stove was stowed here. One of the basic household chores during the winter months was filling the furnace with wood or coal to power the central heating system.

The Fultons likely found an abundant source of fuel in the local Live Oak trees. A servant would shovel wood or coal into this room through the window hatch to be stored for future use. The wood or coal could then be shoveled directly into the furnace or delivered in a scuttle to the kitchen stove.

Kitchen

Kitchens in the south were typically located in a separate building to keep odors and heat from entering the house. The Fulton's French Second Empire-style house was very fashionable in the northern cities where they lived prior to moving back to Texas. The plans the Fultons chose for the Mansion would commonly have located the kitchen in the basement.

The Victorian Kitchen was kept clean but rarely decorated since it was the servants' workspace. Typical upper-class kitchens in the late 19th century included a coal or wood-burning cast iron range, worktables, open shelves for storing kitchenware, and a sink. The Fultons had a zinc sink with running water. The kitchen table served as both a dining and work area for the servants.

Bonaparte Chandler "Bony" was a young African American man from Louisiana who worked as the Fulton's chef for several years earning $20 a month. He was undoubtedly key to the success of the Fulton's dinner parties considering their social occasions were never to be missed.

Miss Amy, likely the scullery maid, held several responsibilities from shelling peas to scrubbing pots. She took over as cook when Bony left.

Butler's Pantry

"Butler's Pantry" is a term for the meal service space in a house whether there is a hired butler or not. This downstairs pantry features cabinetry installed by the Fultons. Servants use the dumbwaiter to get hot, heavy platters of food from the kitchen to the upstairs dining room. By using a system of ropes and pulleys, they could move the elevator-like box up and down the shaft. After a meal, servants could quickly get dirty dishes to the kitchen for washing.

China, crystal and silver were likely stored in the butler's pantry upstairs, while pottery and serving implements were stored in the downstairs pantry.

Larder

The Fultons stored perishable food here. This room could be considered a walk-in refrigeration. Shellcrete troughs lined three sides of the room, and water circulated around blocks of ice in the troughs to keep items cool. The large window openings allowed fresh air flow and were most likely covered with a screen and moist cotton cloths.

The Fultons had trouble finding and keeping servants. There was probably never a "full house" of servants at any given time. Very little is known about the Fulton servants, but records show that they were diverse in gender, age and race. 

Members of the Fultons' staff included Mrs. Crosby, the housekeeper, who managed everything in the Mansion, from keeping the pantry stocked to overseeing the work of the indoor servants. She kept the house clean, served meals on time, ensured that all family and guests were comfortable, and guaranteed that all events ran smoothly.

Maria Swan and May Grant were housemaids who likely shared a room on the third floor. Their duties included dusting, running the carpet sweeper, washing windows, and helping Mrs. Fulton and female guests with their clothing and hair. In the afternoons, the housemaids served tea, assisted with dinner parties, and waited on the household.

John Folchert was the Fultons' Footman from 1874-1880. He likely dressed in a fine vest and jacket with brass buttons. His duties included: answering the door; supervising and serving all meals; cleaning silver; ensuring the family and guests were comfortable; and acting as George Fulton's valet if needed.

He might also deliver invitations to homes in the area when parties were planned. John lived on the third floor. When he gave his resignation in February 1879, Harriet quickly hired Mack, a young Black man, who was the former cook for Mrs. Mathis. Mack desired to work in the packing plant, which likely paid more, and unfortunately only stayed two weeks at the Fulton Mansion.

Andrew Cadenas served as the Fultons' farm manager for eight years earning $40 per month. Andrew's duties consisted of harnessing up the carriage and completing all maintenance needed to keep it pristine. He also groomed, fed, and shod Old Charlie, the Fulton's carriage horse, along with taking care of the milk cows, Rosy and Daisy.

George Wier was a Black man from Kentucky. He was a general laborer who helped care for the grounds by pruning, watering and mowing the grass. According to family letters, he was unhappy to be asked to help with house cleaning when the Fultons were without house maids.

Andrew lived off the property, while George lived with Bony and Sam at the Old Fulton House.

An 1880s Christmas Dinner

Roast turkey and roast goose; ham with smoked tongue; giblet gravy; oysters on the half shell; green turtle soup; sweet potatoes with squash; macaroni with tomato sauce; mashed potatoes; applesauce and celery; lettuce and French dressing; Christmas Pudding (plum pudding); fruit, nuts and raisins; sherry sauce; and macaroons and chocolate drops.