The Centennial House is the oldest home in Corpus Christi Texas. It holds a lot of history in what is now known as modern day uptown. The house has never been moved though, one feature has been renovated, and it still sits in its original location. There are a few artifacts and things inside the home that are unique and true to the home. This attraction brings a touch of history to the town.
The Foyer
Upon entering the house, you can’t help but notice the traditionally styled foyer/entryway. The furniture dates all the way back to the late 1800’s. Women back then were known to put the furniture to more than just decorative use. The women were said to use the tables that sit in this foyer to keep men from looking underneath their skirts.
Britton Resemblance
The Britton and Evans family are 2 of the families that made this house what it is today and contributed to a good chunk of its history. When entering the house, you can see two photos side by side of Forbes Britton and his great grandson. It does not take a second glance to realize these two looked incredibly alike, and these old photos have history written all over them.
The Staircase
Many people assume when entering a house that the staircase is going to be one of the original objects that contribute to its history. As mentioned earlier, there was one renovation that was done by the first woman of the home, Mrs. Evans. She changed the original spiral staircase to a more modern looking one. Many people wonder why she questioned the look of a beautiful spiral staircase. The answer is simply because Mrs. Evans valued grand entrances into a room!
The Rocking Chair
After ascending the staircase, you will quickly notice a rocking chair that sits at the very top and is the only piece of furniture in the space. It is known to be the rocking chair of an infamous pirate that goes by the name of Jean Lafitte.
You might also like: Spend Your Fall Days At These Corpus Christi Parks
Sleep Tight
This phrase came from the times that this house was occupied. When exploring the Centennial House, you will notice there are no mattresses on the beds. This is simply because back then, mattresses were not common. It was more common for someone to sleep on tightly woven string, where if it were tied tight enough to ensure a better nights sleep.