DUANE
Duane's take
Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about Centennial House in Nueces County. Now, some buildings just stand there. And then there are buildings that seem to draw history toward them like a magnet draws iron filings.
The Centennial House in Corpus Christi is very much the second kind. It starts with a man named Forbes Britton — born in Virginia in 1812, trained at the United States Military Academy, the kind of resume that tends to put a man in the middle of things. He first arrived in Corpus Christi as an army captain during the Mexican War, 1846.
That was his introduction to the place. But Corpus Christi must have made an impression, because he came back — this time as a civilian, this time to stay. He and his wife Rebecca, née Millard, had this classical revival house built between 1849 and 1850, the work of contractors Gravis, Berry and Yates.
And once that house was up, Britton got busy in just about every direction a man in a growing Texas city could. He ranched. He became a partner in the shipping firm of Britton, Mann and Yates.
He helped form the first company to pursue a deep water channel for the city. And from 1857 to 1861 he served in the Texas Senate. That last stretch of his life, though — that's where things get weighty.
As Adjutant General, Forbes Britton carried a title that meant something specific in 1860: he was the personal emissary of Governor Sam Houston to United States President Buchanan. Think about that a moment. The year is 1860.
The country is cracking down the middle. And here is this man, born 1812, trained at West Point, built a house in South Texas, and now he is the messenger between Sam Houston and the president of a nation teetering on the edge. Forbes Britton died in 1861.
He is buried in the state cemetery in Austin. The house, of course, kept going. Left with servants during the Civil War, it became a Confederate hospital in 1862.
Then when the federal army moved through in 1866, it flipped — hospital and officers' mess for Union soldiers. The same walls, different flags, different wounded men. And it wasn't done being tested.
When James and Janet Bryden made it their home from 1870 to 1878, the house served as a citizens' refuge — a place people ran to during raids by desperadoes and Indians. The frontier had a long reach, and this house stood in its path. The family of George and Cornelia Evans — Cornelia born a Moore — owned the property from 1880 all the way to 1936.
Then Southern Minerals Corporation, with Maston Nixon serving as president, took ownership, restored the place, and preserved it through 1965. Somewhere in all of that living and surviving and changing hands, the house earned a distinction: it was recognized as the oldest existing structure in Corpus Christi and designated Centennial House in 1949. Since 1965, it has been owned and preserved by the Corpus Christi Area Heritage Society.
A house that started as one captain's home, became a hospital twice over, sheltered citizens from raiders, outlasted a century of Texas history, and is still standing. Forbes Britton built well.
What the marker says
Forbes Britton (1812-1861), a Virginian and graduate of the U.S. Military Academy, came to Corpus Christi as an army captain in Mexican War, 1846. He returned as a civilian, and with his wife Rebecca (Millard) had this classical revival house built by the contractors Gravis, Berry and Yates, 1849-50. Britton ranched, was a partner in shipping firm of Britton, Mann and Yates, and helped form first company to obtain a deep water channel for the city. He served 1857-61 in the Texas senate. As Adjutant General, he was personal emissary of governor Sam Houston to U.S. president Buchanan in 1860. His grave is in the state cemetery in Austin. Left with servants during civil war (a confederate hospital in 1862), house became hospital and officers mess for federal army, 1866. It was citizens' refuge in raids of desperadoes and indians while home of James and Janet Bryden, 1870-78. The family of George and Cornelia (Moore) Evans owned the property, 1880-1936. Southern Minerals Corp., Maston Nixon, President, owned, restored and preserved the place, 1936-65. Recognized as oldest existent structure in Corpus Christi, it was designated centennial house in 1949. Since 1965 it has been owned and preserved by the Corpus Christi area heritage society.