Built in 1858 for Dr. Baylis Wood Earle and his wife, Eliza Harrison Earle, the Earle-Harrison House stands as one of Waco’s only fully restored antebellum homes. Designed in the side-entry Greek Revival style, the residence is distinguished by nine cypress columns, longleaf heart pine siding, and an impressive 5,000 square feet of living space. Its fourteen-foot ceilings, walk-through windows leading onto broad verandas, and generously sized rooms speak to the elegance of its original design. Inside, a collection of Victorian furnishings and family artifacts– gifts from Waco citizens and descendants of the Earle and Harrison families– help bring its history to life. 

The home remained in the Earle and Harrison families until 1891, when its second owner, General Thomas Harrison (Eliza’s brother), passed away. Following the settlement of the Harrison estate, the property changed hands and gradually fell from family ownership. In the years that followed, the once grand home was divided into apartments, fell into disrepair, and eventually faced the threat of demolition to make way for a motel. 

The house was saved thanks to the vision and determination of Nell Jurney Pape, a preservationist and civic leader. In 1957, she had already purchased the nearby Johnson-Taylor House, adding an event hall for Waco’s gardening clubs and assembling what would become the five-acre Pape Gardens. A decade later, in 1967, she and her friend Lavonia Jenkins Barnes took action to rescue the Earle-Harrison House. With the help of architect Rayford Stripling, the home was carefully dismantled– its columns and roof removed, and its oak timber frame cut in half with a chainsaw– before being transported nearly two miles to its new site. 

After three years of restoration, the Earle-Harrison House reopened in 1970, welcoming the public for the first time. That same year, the Texas Historical Commission honored the home with a historical plaque, ensuring its place as a cherished piece of Waco’s heritage.