GREEK REVIVAL SHOWPLACE

Crockett, Houston County seat, is home to the Monroe-Crook House, a Greek Revival structure built in 1854. Today, the Monroe-Crook serves as a museum where visitors may learn all about the history of Houston County. The home was built by Armistead Thompson Mason Monroe, grandnephew of President James Monroe, who had the handsome residence designed to resemble his prestigious granduncle’s Albemarle County, Virginia home known as Ash Lawn. Armistead Monroe was an early proponent of “flipping” real estate, buying property then renovating or building, and selling. The Monroe-Crook house was sold just four years after construction and ownership continued to change hands until the early 1970’s. The Women’s Club of Crocket, determined to preserve and restore the historic home, created a non-profit for the purpose, acquiring federal grants and donations and utilizing volunteers to complete the project in 1974. The landmark home is now registered as both a Texas Historic Landmark and a property on the National Registry of Historic Places.