Original Town in Carrollton in Dallas County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
Alex W. and Sarah Perry Homestead
Photographed By Kayla Harper, April 19, 2020
1. Alex W. and Sarah Perry Homestead Marker
In 1844 Alexander Wilson Perry (1819-1904) and his wife Sarah (Huffman) (1824-1896) migrated from Illinois to Texas to join the Peters Colony. They purchased this land from Joshua B. Lee, another pioneer settler, and built a simple frame house here in the late 1850s. The Perrys had eight children who grew to adulthood. The family donated land for Union Baptist Church, Perry Cemetery, a school, and railroad right of way.
When the Perry property was divided in 1904, one son DeWitt Clinton Perry (1856-1930) received this portion containing the family home. In 1909 he dismantled the old structure and used some of the lumber and stone to build this one-and-a-half story residence. A central hallway divides the interior, and ornate columns support the wrap-around porch. Behind the house stand cedar trees that once shaded the front of the pre-Civil War dwelling.
Frances Grimes (Mrs. DeWitt) Perry (1866-1967) occupied the residence until her death just before her 101st birthday. In 1975 her daughter Pearl (Mrs. William A.) Gravley gave the house and ten acres of surrounding property to the city of Carrollton for use as a museum and park. Volunteers from the community restored the structure in 1975-76.
Erected 1976 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 6816.)
this page online
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Parks & Recreational Areas • Settlements & Settlers.
Location. 32° 57.506′ N, 96° 53.775′ W. Marker is in Carrollton, Texas, in Dallas County. It is in Original Town. Marker is on N. Perry Road, on the left when traveling north. The marker is in a small paved parking lot between the homestead house and the Perry Cemetery to the north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1509 N Perry Road, Carrollton TX 75006, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. The Perry Cemetery (approx. 0.3 miles away); Union Baptist Church (approx. 0.4 miles away); Pioneer Park (approx. ¾ mile away); Blanton Grain Tower (approx. 0.8 miles away); St. John Baptist Church (approx. 0.9 miles away); Carrollton Black Cemetery (approx. 1½ miles away); a different marker also named Carrollton Black Cemetery (approx. 1½ miles away); Korean Texans (approx. 2.1 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Carrollton.
Photographed By Kayla Harper, April 19, 2020
2. Alex W. and Sarah Perry Homestead and Marker
Photographed By Kayla Harper, April 19, 2020
3. Alex W. and Sarah Perry Homestead
Photographed By Kayla Harper, April 19, 2020
4. An additional Alex W. and Sarah Perry Homestead Marker
Photographed By Kayla Harper, April 19, 2020
5. Alex W. and Sarah Perry Homestead Marker
Photographed By Kayla Harper, April 19, 2020
6. Alex W. and Sarah Perry Homestead
Credits. This page was last revised on February 2, 2023. It was originally submitted on April 20, 2020, by Kayla Harper of Dallas, Texas. This page has been viewed 391 times since then and 45 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on April 20, 2020, by Kayla Harper of Dallas, Texas. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.
