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About the Goodman-LeGrand
.jpg) The
1859 Goodman-LeGrand House & Museum has been a Texas Historic Landmark since
1964, and it was the first property in Smith County to be listed on the National
Register of Historic Places. In 2010, it was designated a Historic Site by the
National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR). With the
latest renovations and continued maintenance and care by the City of Tyler and
the Tyler Parks & Recreation Department, the Goodman estate will surely
stand as a showplace for many years to come.
The Goodman-LeGrand Museum
is open for walk-ins anytime during our normal hours of operation. It is a free
attraction. However, a $2 donation per person is suggested. Tour groups (of 10
or more), photographic sessions, meetings, weddings and other functions must be
scheduled in advance. The 1859 Goodman-LeGrand House & Museum is located in
the 9-acre LeGrand Park & Gardens at 624 North Broadway, Tyler, Texas 75702,
just north of the downtown Tyler square. Please call (903) 531-1286 for
more information, including museum and park rental fees, details on upcoming
special events, volunteer opportunities, and to schedule a guided tour or
function.
Museum Hours of Operation:
Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m.
- 4 p.m.
Closed on Sunday and Monday
LeGrand Park & Gardens Hours
of Operation:
Open Daily 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. |
The Goodman home was originally built in 1859 as a one-story, four-room
house, and it was established on a 9-acre wooded parcel of land. It was known
as Bonnie Castle by its first owner and occupant, Samuel Gallatin Smith. The
young well-to-do bachelor and attorney sold the house in 1861 when the Civil War
broke out. Mr. Smith became a Captain in the Confederacy and was later killed
in battle in Louisiana. The next owner who bought the home in 1861 was Franklin
N. Gary, a local school teacher. In 1866, a year after the Civil War ended, Dr.
Samuel Adams Goodman, a retired country doctor from South Carolina, purchased
the house from Mr. Gary. The following year in 1867, his son, Dr.
William Jeffries Goodman, a local doctor and Civil War Major and Chief Surgeon,
bought the house from his father and moved in with his new bride, Mary Priscilla
Gaston. Her brother was William Henry Gaston, a founder of the city of Dallas,
and one of Dallas' first millionaires. For 73 years and four generations,
this prominent family made the house their family home.
Dr. & Mrs.
W.J. Goodman raised three children in the home. They added the second story to
the house, in the Italianate-style architecture, around 1880 in order to
accommodate their growing family. Their oldest child and daughter, Sallie
Gertrude Goodman, married James H. LeGrand in October, 1893. She and her
husband lived here throughout their lives, and after the deaths of Sallie's
parents, siblings, and her 2 year old son who died in 1896. In 1926, Sallie and
her husband, James, remodeled the house to its current state, which is in the
Classic Revival-style architecture. The 1926 remodel included the construction
of the projecting circular porticos and the massive 2-story columns that the
Goodman is so well known for today. When Sallie Goodman LeGrand died in 1939,
four years after her husband's death, she was the last direct heir to live in
the house. Upon her death, she bequeathed the Goodman-LeGrand estate
(the land, home and furnishings) to the City of Tyler, with instructions to
maintain the historic family home and to keep it open as a public museum. The
City of Tyler officially took ownership in 1940. Much of what we currently know
about the home and its past residents comes from journals kept by Sallie.
Her diaries recount tales about guests who stayed in the house to escape the
dangers of the Civil War, stories of the numerous family trips, and where a lot
of the furnishings and artifacts originally came from. The journals
also describe several elegant social galas that took place in the home, supper
parties and receptions held for Texas state politicians.
In 2010-2011,
the Goodman-LeGrand underwent a major exterior renovations project, which
brought the exterior paint and shingled mansard roof back to its original colors
from the 1880 remodel. Today, the home is still furnished with the original
belongings of the Goodman-LeGrand family, some of which are older than the house
itself as they date back to the early 1800's. The museum offers visitors a
chance to view such items as antique handcarved furniture and musical
instruments, a grandfather clock from the colonial era, fine silver and
crystal, hand-painted Limoges china, original clothing, medical books dating
back to the early 1800's, Civil War-era surgical tools and medical cases,
original paintings and photographs, and many other rare and interesting items.
Step back in time and see what makes the Goodman
unique! |
The Goodman Museum grounds are also known as LeGrand Park. The well manicured
grounds cover almost an entire city block. In addition to lush green lawns,
there are many large shade trees and beautiful flowers, including azaleas and
roses. Benches provide visitors a place to rest and enjoy the beautiful setting.
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