Magoffin Homestead facts for kids
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Magoffin Homestead
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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Magoffin Home State Historic Site
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 Magoffin Homestead
Location in Texas
Magoffin Homestead
Location in the United States
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| Location | 1120 Magoffin Ave El Paso, Texas |
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| Area | 1.5 acres (0.61 ha) |
| Built | 1875 |
| Architectural style | Victorian |
| Part of | Magoffin Historic District (ID16000717) |
| NRHP reference No. | 71000931 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | March 31, 1971 |
| Designated CP | October 11, 2016 |
The Magoffin Home is a special historic house located in El Paso, Texas. It became a protected site on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971. The area around it, called the Magoffin Historic District, was also recognized in 1985. Today, the home is known as the Magoffin Home State Historic Site and is looked after by the Texas Historical Commission.
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What Makes the Magoffin Home Special?
The Magoffin Home was built in 1875. It mixes local adobe building styles with fancy Greek revival details. This style is known as Territorial. The house has very thick adobe walls. These walls help keep the house cool in the summer. They also keep it warm during the winter months.
How the House Grew Over Time
The house has three main parts, called wings. Each wing was built at a different time. The last part was added in the 1880s. This section connected the two earlier wings. The home has 19 rooms in total. It also features 8 fireplaces. The ceilings are very tall, about 14 feet high.
Original Furnishings and Family Life
The Magoffin family lived in this house for 109 years. Many of their original furniture pieces are still there. You can see an 11.5-foot-tall half-tester bed. This shows how the family lived long ago.
The Magoffin Family History
The home was built by a pioneer named Joseph Magoffin. He lived there with his wife, Octavia (MacGreal). They stayed in the house until they passed away. Joseph and Octavia had two children, James and Josephine.
James Magoffin's Family
James, also known as Jim, married Anne Buford. They had four children: Anne, James, Mary, and Jim. James passed away in 1913. After his death, Anne continued to care for her father-in-law, Joseph. She stayed at the homestead until Joseph's death in 1923. James's family later moved to Los Angeles.
Josephine Magoffin's Life
Josephine married William Jefferson Glasgow. He later became a Brigadier General in the military. Their wedding was a very big event. Newspapers called it the 'wedding of the century'. After Joseph Magoffin died, Josephine inherited the house. Josephine's daughter, Octavia Magoffin Glasgow, was the last family member to live in the home. She lived there until her death in 1986.
Changes and Restoration of the Home
After William Glasgow retired from the military, he and Josephine returned to El Paso. They updated the inside of the home. They added gas heating and electricity. They also modernized the kitchen and plumbing. During this time, they plastered over old wallpapers. They also removed the canvas ceilings, which were called mantas.
Becoming a Historic Site
In 1976, the home was sold to the City and State. However, Joseph's granddaughter, Octavia Magoffin Glasgow, was allowed to live there for the rest of her life. She continued to live in the home until 1986. From 1977 to 1978, the house was carefully restored. This work was done by Eugene George. He was a professor at the University of Texas at Austin.
Visiting the Magoffin Home Today
The Magoffin Homestead is located at 1120 Magoffin Avenue in El Paso, Texas. It is currently owned by both the City of El Paso and the State of Texas. The Texas Historical Commission has managed the site since 2007. Before that, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department oversaw it since 1976. There is a special historical marker at the site.
Events and Tours
The Casa Magoffin Companeros (Friends of the Magoffin Home) help host many events. These include summer camps and classes for kids. They also have a Holiday Open House in December.
You can take tours of the home from Tuesday to Sunday. Tours are available from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The last tour starts at 4 p.m. You can buy tickets for tours at the Visitor Center. It is located across the street from the home at 1117 Magoffin Avenue. The Visitor Center also has unique gifts.
See also
