In 1908 Allen was noted in the newspaper as one of the leading corn markets in the county. There were several corn shellers, seed elevators and grain dealers in the area along the railroad tracks.
Farmers in Allen grew barley, corn, cotton, . . . — — Map (db m310160) HM
Fertile land and plentiful water drew settlers to this area from as early as the 1840s. This part of Collin County was well populated by 1876 when the Houston and Texas Central Railroad built a water supply stop on Cottonwood Creek near this site. . . . — — Map (db m220381) HM
Located on land purchased from Mr. and Mrs. John W. Whisenant, this cemetery was formally established on April 5, 1884, by the International Order of Odd Fellows, local lodge No. 249. Encompassing almost three acres of land, the cemetery has served . . . — — Map (db m43407) HM
Allen Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) was built in 1918 at the northwest corner of Main Street and Allen Drive and is a superb example of prairie style architecture. Beautiful stained glass windows are exquisite features of this church. The . . . — — Map (db m310262) HM
This wooden Prairie-style church was built in 1918 to replace the churches original tabernacle and brush arbor. It originally sat at the intersection of Main and Allen Drive. At one time—the largest church in Allen, it features original stained . . . — — Map (db m310263) HM
Allen is said to have the distinction of being one of the first black schools in the county, the first teachers being farmers and ministers. The colored school was in the African Methodist Episcopal Church building at the northeast corner of Cedar . . . — — Map (db m310024) HM
Allen was platted by surveyor Theodore Kosse in 1876 for the Houston & Texas Central Railway, formerly known as the Galveston-Red River Railway. It was named for former Texas Attorney General and railroad promoter Ebenezer Allen. Nearby Cottonwood . . . — — Map (db m310145) HM
Allen’s original depot burned in the late 1940’s. The only structure remaining from the original depot site is the old cistern located on the south side of the building. Structural notes in the records of the Houston & Texas Central RR for the . . . — — Map (db m310147) HM
The Community of Allen, founded in the 1870s, experienced a surge of growth after the arrival of the Texas Traction Company in 1908. The town was a stop on the interurban line between Dallas and Sherman, serviced daily by hourly passenger cars from . . . — — Map (db m305953) HM
On March 11, 1848, Ebenezer Allen, former Republic of Texas Attorney General, obtained a charter for the Galveston and Red River Railway. Track construction began in early 1856, and the company was renamed Houston & Texas Central (H&TC) Railway . . . — — Map (db m220383) HM
It has been said that the farmer’s barn was the most important structure on the farmstead, even more important than his own house. Barns served to store crops and protect animals, all essential to early settler’s survival.
The earliest barns . . . — — Map (db m310164) HM
Barn & Shed
These 2 structures were donated along with the farmhouse, and were on the property with it. They are from a later period — records indicate around 1930. The barn has a large open loft, with a door for large access. The lower area . . . — — Map (db m310271) HM
This craftsman-style bungalow was built with a bathroom, but access to it was from the rear porch—not from inside the house! The front features 2 entry doors. The right door leads into the living room and dining area, and opens to the kitchen. From . . . — — Map (db m310166) HM
A chicken coop is a house for chickens that keeps them safe from the elements and from predators. During the winter it protects them from the cold and during the summer it provides lots of shade and water. It usually faces south to receive sunlight . . . — — Map (db m310170) HM
Pioneer settler C.A. McMillen established the Corinth Society Church of August 2, 1846. Thought to be the oldest continuing church congregation in Collin County, its charter members included the Murphy, Wilkins, and Maxwell families. The church . . . — — Map (db m164621) HM
Corn was handpicked in the field until the 1940’s in Allen. Over the years there were several corn shellers operating along the RR tracks and spur; Leach and Bush, J.D. Goodson, Erwin H. Berry, and Sam Butler were others who had shellers. In 1935 . . . — — Map (db m310154) HM
This front end loader tool with bolted handles pulled by a mule served various purposes. Men used hand shovels to loosen dirt, sometimes scattered with rock, and scooped the soil into the scraper. The large ‘bucket-type scoop’ carried the dirt to . . . — — Map (db m310157) HM
The early settlers in Texas North lived in an agricultural society with most people living on farms. People depended greatly on animals for their survival and livelihood. Animals provided the raw power to drive machines as well as providing them . . . — — Map (db m310163) HM
Early 20th Century. This story and a half-style is described as “4-square” — meaning 4 large square rooms on the main floor. Each room opened to another. This house features a single large room upstairs with plenty of attic space under the eaves. . . . — — Map (db m310266) HM
Methodists were among the earliest settlers in Collin County. A group of thirteen pioneers met at Joseph Russell’s log cabin close to present-day Allen on November 15, 1847 and organized a church. Russell’s home was located south of Rowlett Creek . . . — — Map (db m220384) HM
The Allen African Methodist Episcopal Church is one of the oldest churches in Allen. The building is at the northwest corner of Cedar Drive and St. Mary Drive. The Allen Colored School met in the building in the early years and in the 1930’s the . . . — — Map (db m310022) HM
In the 1800’s the kitchen garden was a very important part of a household’s subsistence base. The family relied upon a garden for food, medicinal purposes, dyes, house fragrances, and “everlasting” dried flowers. The kitchen garden contained a . . . — — Map (db m310169) HM
This ca. 1890-1910 Queen Anne style vernacular 1 1/2 story farmhouse was originally located on old Rowlett Road west of Allen. It was moved to the Heritage Village in 2003. Features include original wood clapboard siding believed to have been . . . — — Map (db m310264) HM
The Number 20 steam locomotive was originally built in 1910 by the American Locomotive Company for the Lake Superior and Ishpeming Railroad. It was used to haul iron ore from Marquette, Michigan to the docks alongside Lake Superior. It was . . . — — Map (db m310138) HM
Lovejoy School was created in 1917 by the consolidation of Forest Grove and Lick Springs schools. It was named for Mrs. J.L. Lovejoy (d. 1939), a local clubwoman who promoted many educational causes for the area. Grades 1 through 9 were taught here . . . — — Map (db m246076) HM
This ca. 1905 bungalow features 5 rooms, all connecting to one another, there are no hallways. The front entry has 2 doorways—the main door enters the living room, which connects to the dining room with a side porch. The other front door enters a . . . — — Map (db m310234) HM
This implement prepares soil for planting. It is pulled by horses and its concave ‘double-disc’ plowshares are set at wide angles to the direction of progress. The two discs work quicker than one. The discs cut and hold the soil-lifting it up to . . . — — Map (db m310159) HM
In the early days of Allen no one had indoor toilets but most had an outhouse, a small structure, separate from a main building, which covers a hole in the ground. Sometimes called the “necessary,” the purpose was to contain human waste in a . . . — — Map (db m310172) HM
The open-air pavilion’s place in American history is closely tied to rural and small-town religious life in the 1800’s. Gatherings were held outside wherever people wanted to experience communal worship. This pavilion was modelled after the brush . . . — — Map (db m310265) HM
“The little white church at the end of the lane…” That’s how St. Mary was described when it was given to the Heritage Guild in 1999 by Reverend George Anderson and his wife Hazel. At the time the building was in need of restoration.
The Heritage . . . — — Map (db m310149) HM
Organized in 1887 to serve the African-American citizens in this area of Collin County, St. Mary’s Baptist Church was originally located approximately 5 miles northwest from this location near the intersection of Custer Road and State Highway 121. . . . — — Map (db m310151) HM
Screech Owls are the most common owls in Texas. These small, nocturnal birds are well adapted to suburban parks. Screech Owls are 6.3”-9.8” long with an 18.9”-24” wingspan at maturity, yet can eat over 1,000 mice a year. The owls are a great . . . — — Map (db m310153) HM
Shadow Lines interlaces elements of shadow, light, time, and memory. Composed of a semicircular wall of weathered steel on a circular concrete plaza, the memorial creates a serene place for reflection and commemoration. Like a gnomon on a . . . — — Map (db m310282) HM
This implement was used for planting corn at a time when farmers relied upon, ‘check row planting.’ The field was grid-marked horizontally and vertically with wire; the crossings were called ‘checks.’ The planter was pulled by one or two horses or . . . — — Map (db m310156) HM
In 1874, the Houston and Texas Central Railway Company was expanding north from Houston to Denison, Texas. Water stops were necessary along the route at 7 - 10 mile intervals to keep the steam locomotives going. At this location Irish immigrants . . . — — Map (db m43406) HM
After the Civil War it was common for larger landowners to have tenant farmers work part of their land on a share system. A house and farm land was provided to the tenant in exchange for work done in the production of crops. This small house is . . . — — Map (db m310272) HM
This is the oldest known structure still standing in Allen today. An archaeological dig on the original property site concluded the building dates from about 1869. The “I-house” indicates the original building was an “I” shape—it consisted of the 2 . . . — — Map (db m310233) HM
This structure was constructed in 1936 by a WPA crew on the Charles Watson farm in Fairview, Texas, later inherited by Ada and Chuck Williams. It sat in its original location until July 2015, when it was donated to the Allen Heritage Guild. It . . . — — Map (db m310152) HM
