DUANE
Duane's take
Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about the Stafford-Miller House in Colorado County. Now settle in, because this one's got a millionaire, an opera house, and a man who refused to miss a single performance — even from his own bedroom. In 1886, Robert E.
Stafford — cattleman, banker, millionaire, born in 1834 — built himself an ornate Victorian house right there in Columbus. And if you're thinking that's enough for one year, well, Robert E. Stafford was not the kind of man who stopped at enough.
That same year, 1886, he also built an opera house. Next door. Now here's where it gets good.
By design — and I want you to hear those two words, by design, because this man planned it — Stafford could sit in his bedroom and see the opera house stage performance right through to the next building over. Whether that speaks to his love of culture or his love of comfort, I'll leave that to you. He was one of the organizers of the Columbus Meat and Ice Co., so clearly, Robert E.
Stafford had a talent for putting things together in useful combinations. He passed in 1890, but the home stayed in Stafford hands. Then in 1909, a hurricane came through and took the cupola clean off the top.
The house endured. The Staffords held on until 1915, when they sold it to a Mrs. Helena Miller.
She kept it, and after her death on April 14, 1936, the house was inherited by E.G. Miller. And the marker notes, with a certain quiet pride, that Mrs.
Miller's descendants still preserve it. An ornate Victorian house, a stolen cupola, and a bedroom with a view of the stage — some legacies are built to last.
What the marker says
Ornate Victorian house built for millionaire cattleman - banker Robert E. Stafford (1834-90), one of the organizers of Columbus Meat & Ice Co. Stafford built home and opera house in same year, 1886. By design, he could sit in his bedroom and see opera house stage performance, next door. Home lost a cupola in 1909 hurricane; it was owned by the Staffords until 1915, then sold to Mrs. Helena Miller, whose descendants still preserve it. Recorded Texas Historical Landmark - 1974. [Supplemental plate] After the death of Mrs. Helena Miller on April 14, 1936, house was inherited by E.G. Miller, who is the present owner. (1973)