The McFaddin-Ward House in
Beaumont displays the opulent living conditions of the very rich in the early 20th century, but also tells the story of a pioneer Texas family.
The McFaddins moved into the three-story, Beaux-Arts Colonial mansion in 1907 and occupied it for the next 75 years. Photo by Gerald E. McLeod
Decorated with furnishings from the late Victorian era to the 1950s, the house was left as it was when the last McFaddin turned over the keys to a foundation that maintains the property.
The house is filled with rare items that illustrate the finest of the decorative arts of the time. Quite often the furnishings seem more for style than function. Still, the tours, with COVID-19 precautions, are a walk through a beautiful time capsule.