Places in the Heart: Waxahachie's bountiful, beautiful buildings Page: 2 of 8
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Eastlake, and Queen Anne. All gussied up in gingerbread trim, they give
Waxahachie its signature moniker, "Gingerbread Capital of Texas."
The term "gingerbread" comes from the culinary trade. For centuries,
bakers have decorated cakes made with ginger and molasses into whimsical
gingerbread houses. Architecture borrowed the term to describe lavish
ornamentation, such as intricately sawn and turned millwork.
This month, the 33rd annual Gingerbread Trail (June 2-3, 2001) serves up
a taste of architectural gingerbread on tours of five private residences and
several historic buildings.
One tour home embodies some of the finest materials and craftsmanship
in town...and well it should. In 1888, cattleman-turned-lumberman William F.
Lewis saved the best lumber from his East Texas mills for his two-and-a-half-
story Queen Anne residence at 1201 E. Marvin Street. Painted burgundy,
yellow, and green, its wraparound porch features fancy posts and spindles.
Ornamental brackets bear scrollwork of flower petals, lucky shamrocks, and five-
pointed Texas stars.
A year ago, Kathy and David Eriksen bought the house, continuing the
restoration process begun by previous owners. Like so many Waxahachians,
they're hooked on old homes. "This is our fourth Victorian to restore-two here
and two in Dallas," says Kathy. "It's like living in the middle of history. As we
uncover new things about the house, we learn how people lived 100 years ago."
In 1984, Waxahachie (population 21,000, the seat of Ellis County)
uncovered its own treasure trove of architecture and history. The city and a
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Mallory, Randy. Places in the Heart: Waxahachie's bountiful, beautiful buildings, text, 2001-06~; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1924354/m1/2/: accessed June 11, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Special Collections.