White House of the Chickasaws facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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White House of the Chickasaws
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 Location in Oklahoma
Location in the United States
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| Nearest city | Milburn, Oklahoma |
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| Area | 0.1 acres (0.040 ha) |
| Built | 1895 |
| Architect | Waltham, W.A. |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne |
| NRHP reference No. | 71000662 |
| Added to NRHP | August 5, 1971 |
The White House of the Chickasaws is a special historic home in Milburn, Oklahoma. It was built in 1895 and looks like a beautiful old house with fancy details. A famous architect named W.A. Waltham designed it. This house is also known as the Gov. Douglas H. Johnston House. That's because Douglas Hancock Johnston, who was the Governor of the Chickasaw Nation, lived here with his family for many years.
Governor Johnston and his family lived in the house from 1898 until 1971. In 1971, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This is a list of places that are important to American history. When the house was first built, it was on the edge of a community called Emet, Oklahoma. Today, its address is 6379 E. Mansion Dr., Milburn, Oklahoma.
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Famous People Connected to the House
Many important people have connections to the White House of the Chickasaws. On July 21, 1902, Johnston Murray was born in this mansion. Johnston Murray grew up to become the 14th Governor of Oklahoma. His father, William H. Murray, was also an Oklahoma Governor. William H. Murray had married Mary Alice Hearrell, who was Governor Johnston's niece.
Another special event at the mansion was the wedding of Julie Chisholm. She was a granddaughter of Jesse Chisholm, a very well-known person in early Oklahoma history. Julie was also a niece of the Johnston family.
The House Today
Today, the White House of the Chickasaws is a historic house museum. This means it's a house that has been kept or fixed up to show how people lived in the past. The Chickasaw Nation owns the house now. They have restored it to look like it did around the year 1900.
The house was officially added to the National Register of Historic Places on August 5, 1971. At that time, the house was still owned by the family members of Governor Johnston.
How the White House of the Chickasaws Was Built
The design of the White House of the Chickasaws is called "gingerbread style." This style was very popular in Victorian architecture during the late 1800s. It features lots of decorative wooden trim, like the icing on a gingerbread house.
Inside the House
The middle part of the house had four main rooms. These rooms were arranged from south to north:
- Parlor room (also called the music room);
- Sitting room (also called the library);
- State dining room;
- Kitchen.
On each side of the main section, there were two-room wings. The wing on the west side was separated from the sitting room by an open area called a breezeway. This wing held Governor Johnston's bedroom and his office.
Most of the wood used to build the house came from nearby areas. However, the special wood for finishing touches was brought by wagon all the way from Denison, Texas. The two beautiful fireplaces inside the house had fancy mantles and fronts made of cherry mahogany wood. This special wood came from Chattanooga, Tennessee. The porch that went all around the house originally used imported walnut wood for its decorative parts.
Changes Over Time
The White House of the Chickasaws has been very well-preserved. Only a few changes have been made since it was built. Around 1903 or 1904, the open breezeway was closed off. A stairway was built there instead, leading up to the attic. A new bedroom and bathroom were added in the attic area. Later on, more indoor bathrooms were added. The lighting also changed from the original coal-oil lamps to electric lights.
