STRUCTURAL HISTORY
The original section of the home was built out of the native limestone fieldstone by a German immigrant, William "Polecat" Meier in 1894. In 1909 the President's aunt and uncle, Frank and Clarence Martin, bought the house and added the main central portion of the home. The Johnson's bought the home from Lyndon's aunt in 1951. The house needed considerable shoring up, and the Johnsons made a number of additions, most notably the master bedrooms and the office wing.
HEART'S HOME
The Texas White House was an important place to President Johnson as president and as a child. Here are some of his memories: "I first came to this house as a very young boy. This is the big house on the river. My uncle and aunt lived here. They would always ask all the in-laws to come here and spend their Christmas. Frequently, I would come here during the summer when Judge Martin, my uncle, lived here and I'd spend three months' vacation from school riding with him and looking after the cattle. I kept coming back to this house. I guess I must have had a yearning to some day own it. But when we came here on one of the periodic visits in 1952, my aunt told me that she was in advancing years and poor health and she wondered if I wouldn't buy the place. And I did."