Magoffin Home State Historic Site

1120 Magoffin Avenue
El Paso TX 79901
915/533-5147
Park Locator Map

History: Magoffin Home State Historic Site is located in central El Paso, in El Paso County. This 1.5-acre park was purchased jointly by the City of El Paso and the State of Texas in 1976. The site has been operated by the Texas Parks and Wildlife since its purchase.

The Magoffin Home Built in 1875 by pioneer Joseph Magoffin, the nineteen room, adobe home is a prime example of Territorial style architecture. This style developed in the southwest in the mid-1800s and combined local materials (adobe) and then fashionable mid-Victorian wood trim. It is a single story structure composed of three wings arranged in a U-shaped plan. The wings represent three different construction periods. The south wing was probably constructed in the early 1870s. The north wing was built between 1875-77. The east wing was added in the 1880s, connecting the two earlier wings. About the time the east wing was completed, the exterior of the home was plastered and scored to give the appearance of a masonry structure. Historical photographs of the home's interiors taken between 1887 and 1910 show typical Victorian-era decorations, furnishings and arrangements. Carpets, wall paper and painted or papered ceilings all reflected the home of a prominent family at the turn of the century. The home is filled with the original family furnishings and decorative arts. One bedroom is furnished with a five piece set purchased in New Orleans in 1884 which features a 13 foot tall half-canopy bed. The Victorian style formal parlor suite was probably customized in El Paso for the Magoffin's as the detailing includes Mexican eagles flanking a horseshoe. The home was occupied by family members for 110 years. The City of El Paso and the State of Texas jointly purchased the home from the family in 1976. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has maintained and operated the historic site since its purchase.

Joseph Magoffin was born January 7, 1837 in Chihuahua, Mexico to James Wiley and Maria Gertrudis Magoffin. His family moved to Missouri in 1844. He was educated in private and public schools in Kentucky and Missouri. After completing his education he lived at Magoffinsville (now central El Paso). Joseph served as an officer in the Confederate Army during the Civil War. Serving as the commissary officer at Victoria Texas he met and married Octavia MacGreal in Houston on March 1, 1864. The couple had two children. James Wiley Magoffin II was born in Houston in November 1864. Josephine Richardson Magoffin was born in El Paso in November 1873. In September 1868 he purchased from his father the Magoffin land holdings in El Paso County. After his father's death later that month, Joseph moved his family to Magoffinsville. Joseph was active in civic and political affairs during the turbulent period that saw El Paso emerge from a raw frontier town to a bustling commercial center. Among his public offices were Justice of the Peace, County Judge, and Federal Customs Inspector-Collector for the Port of El Paso. One of the incorporators of the City of El Paso in 1873, Joseph would serve as mayor four times, two terms in the early 1880s and two more terms in the late 1890s. During his tenure in city government virtually all of the utility companies were started, the first schools and hospitals were built, and the fire department was established. Joseph was president-owner of the first street car company to operate in El Paso- Juarez and was founder and vice president of the first bank to open. In the early 1890s, Joseph was chairman of the committee formed to secure the needed property to relocate and enlarge the Fort Bliss military reservation. Fort Bliss today is located on the property obtained by this committee. He also worked closely with the Mexican State of Chihuahua to complete much needed flood control projects on the Rio Grande. Joseph died in 1923 and is buried at Evergreen Cemetery in El Paso. Because of his many years of public service and commitment to the City of El Paso, Joseph is remembered as "Mr. El Paso."

James Wiley Magoffin (Joseph Magoffin's father) was the first Magoffin to settle in the El Paso area. Born in Kentucky in 1799, he moved to Mexico in the 1820s, where he quickly became established as a successful trader and merchant on the Santa Fe and Chihuahua Trails. He married Maria Gertrudis de los Santos Valdez de Veramendi in Mexico in 1830. All seven of their children were born in Chihuahua. James moved his family to Missouri in 1845, just months before the outbreak of the Mexican American War. James played a pivotal role during the war when he accompanied Stephen Watts Kearny to Santa Fe to claim New Mexico for the United States. In route to Chihuahua, James was arrested by Mexican officials for his actions in Santa Fe. He spent nine months as a prisoner of war. Following his release, James settled on the north bank of the Rio Grande opposite El Paso del Norte (present day Juarez) starting the community named Magoffinsville. By the mid 1850s his family joined him. A supporter of the South, James relocated to San Antonio during the Civil War assisting the Confederate Army obtain supplies. He died in San Antonio, Texas in 1868 and is buried there.

The Glasgows - Joseph Magoffin's daughter, Josephine married William Jefferson Glasgow, in 1896 in what the newspapers at the time declared to be "the wedding of the century". Glasgow was a graduate of West Point and career military man, obtaining the rank of Brigadier General. The couple had five children, three boys and two girls. As a military family, they moved with the General's assignments. When the General retired in 1927 the Glasgows returned to El Paso and their beloved Magoffin Home which Josephine had inherited from her father.

To accommodate their family and lifestyle, the Glasgows remodeled the interior of the home, installing gas heat, updating plumbing and electrical service, and modernizing the kitchen. The refurbishing included removing the old Victorian wallpapers and the canvas ceilings exposing the mill-sawn beams. Josephine created a then-fashionable Southwestern look while retaining most of the family furnishings. The Glasgows occupied the home until their deaths. The General died in 1967 at the age of 101 and Josephine in 1968 at the age of 95. One of their daughters, Octavia Magoffin Glasgow, was living in the home in 1976 when the family decided to sell it. She retained life tenancy and continued to live in the home until her death in 1986. James Wiley Magoffin

Activities: In addition to the guided tours of the home, the Casa Magoffin Companeros (Friends of the Magoffin Home) host several annual events at the home including a Victorian Tea in May and a Holiday Tea and Reception in December.

Guided tours provide information on the three generations of Magoffin's to occupy the home. Information is also provided on James Wiley Magoffin, trader and merchant on the Santa Fe and Chihuahua Trails and founder of Magoffinsville, which later became El Paso. A tour fee is charged. Group rates are also available.

Area Attractions: Nearby are Hueco Tanks State Historic Site; Franklin Mountains State Park, and the Cities of El Paso and Juarez, Mexico. El Paso features include Fort Bliss Museum, El Paso History Museum, El Paso Art Museum, Wilderness Park Museum, Chamizal National Monument, and El Paso Zoo. El Paso's lower valley includes Tigua Indian Reservation, Ysleta Mission, Socorro Mission, and San Elizario Chapel. Within a day's drive are Balmorhea State Park, Davis Mountains State Park & Indian Lodge, Monahans Sandhills State Park, Big Bend Ranch State Park, and Fort Leaton State Historic Site; White Sands National Monument; Guadalupe Mountains National Park; Mescalero Apache Indian Reservation; Big Bend National Park; Fort Davis National Historic Site; Carlsbad Caverns National Park; and McDonald Observatory.

Facilities: Continuing the social tradition, portions of the home are available for receptions, dinners and special events. Call the Park office for more information. The Casa Magoffin Companeros also manage the park gift shop that specializes in books on local and regional topics. This is a day-use only park.

Park & Facility Fees

Elevation: 3762 ft.
Weather: Average January minimum 30, average July maximum 95, average annual rainfall 7.8.

National Weather Service forecast for this area.

Schedule: Open: 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday and by appointment only on Wednesday. Closed on Monday and Tuesday and major holidays.

Directions: Located just east of the intersection of Octavia Street (named for Mrs. Magoffin) and Magoffin Avenue, the home is eight blocks east of downtown El Paso and south of I.H. 10. West bound traffic on I.H. 10 exit at Cotton Street and turn left. Follow the brown directional signs. East bound traffic should take the downtown exit to Kansas Street and follow the brown directional signs.

Current conditions including, fire bans & water levels, can vary from day to day. For more details, contact the park.