Historic F.A. Brown Farmstead Will Be Hitting the Market Soon

One of the most important historic properties in Dallas is about to hit the market. This is the kind of opportunity that makes my heart skip a beat because I can clearly see what the F.A. Brown Farmstead could become if it lands in the right hands.

Built around 1880, it is the oldest unaltered farmhouse on its original site in Dallas. It received a Texas state historical marker in 1986 and was landmarked by the City of Dallas in 1987.

According to the Library of Congress files, the F.A. Brown Farmhouse was part of the Peters Colony headright granted to Calvin G. Cole in 1854 to encourage settlement of the area. Cole sold the property to William H. and Ellen Price Stewart, who built the home for $2,000. They were actually the eighth owners of the land, but the first to build on it.

In 1885, Francis Asbury Brown purchased the home and 200 acres of farmland. The home stayed in the family for over a century. Over the years, parcels were sold off, leaving the remaining F.A. Brown Farmstead at half an acre. Brown’s son, Ernest, married Nancy Annette Cochran (the Cochran family contributed to the construction of Cochran Methodist Chapel) in 1894. The Ernest Browns moved in after his stepmother’s death with their seven children and operated a dairy farm for years.

When Ernest died in 1943, his daughter and son-in-law, Anna and William Baker, moved in and preserved the home. Anna left the property in trust to her husband, with the understanding that the Historic Preservation League would take ownership when he died. It passed to the Historic Preservation League, the precursor to Preservation Dallas, in 1985.

A big reason why someone might donate a property to a preservation group is to have it designated so it will remain standing. The house was landmarked by the City of Dallas just two years later.

The F.A. Brown Farmstead showcases construction meant to stand the test of time. With 3,770 square feet (considered massive at the time), original wood flooring, 14-foot-tall ceilings, and 12-foot-tall windows in the four front rooms, it has a commanding presence befitting its original owner’s status in the community.

Many of the interior design elements have been preserved, which is a testament to the handful of preservation-minded former owners. The home features the original hardwood floors, faux bois paint finishes, beaded wainscoting, and faux marble mantels on some of the seven fireplaces.

The property also features two 10-foot cisterns that still collect water and a historically protected 1,100-square-foot guest house and coal shed.

Michelle Walker with Dave Perry-Miller Real Estate will have the F.A. Brown Farmstead at 4611 Kelton Dr. available soon, offering a rare chance for this historic property to land in the right hands.