The Hardeman House, built in 1892, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is situated on Old Washington Square, a "center" in Nacogdoches that is much older than the town square. The Caddo Indians established the area as a ceremonial site between 1250 A.D. and 1450 A.D. One of their mortuary mounds remains today on Mound Street, which is 1/2 block east of the Hardeman House. Another mound, located on the Hardeman House property, was excavated in the 1930's.
In 1845, Haden Edwards, Charles S. Taylor, and J. R. Arnold promised 2.5 acres next to the Hardeman House to the City of Nacogdoches to erect a building for the Nacogdoches University, which was chartered at the time. The modified Grecian structure, built in 1858, was the first nonsectarian university established during the Republic of Texas and the only building chartered by the Republic that is still standing.
Robert Lee Hardeman, a descendant of an early pioneering family of Texas, built his one-story home at the corner of Church and Arnold Streets in 1892. In 1912, Hardeman commissioned prominent architect Dietrich Rulfs to enlarge the house, adding a second story, a wraparound gallery, new siding, and interior. Mr. Rulfs also designed and built 15 other turn-of-the-century homes and churches located in the neighborhood surrounding the Hardeman House.
Lee and Ida Hardeman had three children: Homer, Gladys, and Curtis. Gladys never married and lived in the home until just prior to her death in 1980.
In more recent years, the house has been home to an antique shop and a bed and breakfast. The Hardeman House is currently owned by Phillip and Linda Foshee, both lifetime residents of Nacogdoches and alumni of Stephen F. Austin State University, who are eager to share their knowledge of the area.
History ::
