House and Ownership

House and Ownership. Harrison Homestead. The core of the original house was one room constructed of locally quarried limestone blocks and built by John S. Harrison and his wife Martha Jane, in 1852. The small room on the north side of the original structure is believed to have been added in the mid to late 1800's. John Harrison moved to Texas in 1833 from Roane County, Tennessee. He and Martha moved to the Selma area in 1852. As in all small homes of that day, the two limestone block rooms served a variety of uses including storage, living area, bedroom, and nursery. The Friesenhahn family purchased the property in 1905. Hired by the Friesenhahns, Harry Albrecht, a highly skilled local carpenter, built the wood framed additions that today surround the original stone core of the house. An ornate porch wrapped around the south and east sides of the house and a separate, outdoor, kitchen stood near the west side. The porch on the east side was eventually removed by the Friesenhahns. At one time, the attic was used as a sleeping loft and was reached by way of a staircase attached the exterior of the building. The home continued to see additions and renovations between 1905 and 1960. The Schmid and Geyer families bought the property from the Harrisons in 1854. The Schmid family cemetery was established at the back of the original 127 acres, near the Kincaid Cemetery, where both Schmid and Geyer family members are buried. The Stautzenbergers purchased the house in 1894 but only stayed on the property for 11 years. The Friesenhahn family occupied the house for 96 years until it was purchased by the City of Selma in 2001. , 1852-1854 John S. and Martha Jane Harrison , 1854-1894 Martin Schmid and Wilhelm Geyer , 1894-1905 Hugo, Andreas and Armin Stautzenberger , 1905-2001 Henry and August Friesenhahn