The Rosemary Mansion is now a private residence and is not open to the public. The photos shown here were taken at the time when the home operated as the Rosemary Mansion Bed and Breakfast. MANSION HISTORY

This house is one of only two examples of Georgian Revival (a modification of Roman lines known as Palladian, after Andera Palladio for his 16th century Italian Villas) architecture in Waxahachie.P. A. Chapman, an extremely successful banker, rancher and oilman, built this structure in 1916. Noted architect, C. A. Bulger, famous for the first steel reinforced concrete skyscraper in Dallas, The Praetorian Building, designed the home. Cal Ramsey, a local builder of some note, constructed the house as well as the Ellis County 1929 Jail.

Chapman was one of the richest men in America when he built this “Sunday” house for himself and his family. He had a great love for ranching and farming and owned 76,000 acres of land next to the historic King Ranch in South Texas—where he built his primary residence. His son, James, continued the family success and eventually established the Chapman Charitable Trust that now has over one and one-half billion dollars of assets to benefit a number of charities, including the local Presbyterian Children’s Home.  James’ son, Harry, also has a huge charitable trust in his name.  P. A. Chapman’s daughter, Letta Mae is well known and is recognized by the Oklahoma Hall of Fame.

The Chapmans were very significant supporters of the War Bond effort during World War One. They and the McFarlands (another important and wealthy Texas family into which P. A. and James Chapman had married) provided their time and personal wealth to assist with this important endeavor.

The house was also the residence of the Cunninghams and the Heights—both descendants of the original owner. The house was sold to the Cliffs in the 1950s. Oliver Cliff was a successful banker and businessman in Waxahachie and was also the mayor of the City. In the 1970s, the house was sold to the Murrays.  Dr. Murray was a physician.  He started the first Bed and Breakfast in Waxahachie—in a cottage he owned on the lake. The Crosses purchased the 903 West Main Street house in 1996 and completed the first major restoration of the house. They eventually opened the house as a Bed and Breakfast.

The footprint of the house has remained basically the same for the last 85 years.  What attracted the Crosses to the home, despite the years of deferred maintenance, was that only minor interior changes had been made to the baths and the kitchen areas.   Since only four families (Chapman/Cunningham/Height, Cliff,  Murray, and Cross) have occupied the house since it was built, all the architectural details remain intact. The house has never been subdivided or used for any purpose other than as a single family residence.

In the Georgian Revival style, the classic details are the paired Doric columns on the elliptical portico, oval window (cameo window), and basic symmetry. The White House in Washington, D.C. and Jefferson’s Monticello in Virginia are typical Georgian homes.

The past owners of The Mansion were, Dennis and Judy Cross,  who purchased the house in 1996 and have restored the home to its original grandeur. The only difference in the house (if you had been in it in 1916) is that the woodwork was painted in the 1970s. All of the other architectural details, tiles, fireplaces, and moldings are as they were originally.

Featured in D Magazine, Texas Highways, and the Pampered Cowboy, the mansion is situated on a tranquil acre of gardens, fountains, gazebos, greenhouse/chapel, and ponds.

The Rosemary Mansion has been featured three times on the Gingerbread Tour, three times on the Christmas Candlelight Tour, four times on the North Texas Water Garden Tour, and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

One of Waxahachie's Crown Jewels, the house is a significant historical structure, according to members of the Texas Historic Commission.  With the proper documentation completed, the house could easily secure a State Historic marker for its historical nature, architect, architectural style, and its original owner. We invite you to enjoy a “step back in time” to a different era and a different way of living—updated with the conveniences of the Twenty-first Century.
FOYER - The interior of the front hall reflects the harmony of classic lines displayed in the entry, framed by the Doric columns. The lines are repeated in the large mirror opposite the front door. The sculptured fleur-de-lis plaster frieze at the crown of the ten-foot walls continues the classic ornamentation throughout the downstairs rooms. All of the woodwork on the first floor is Philippine mahogany. The carvings in the banister are original to the house and the quarter sawn oak stair treads are particularly beautiful. All of the oak flooring is original to the 1916 construction and it is laid over diagonally-placed Texas heart pine sub-flooring.

The hall stairs are a special feature of the room with the magnificent central window at the head of the stairs. Almost all of the glass in the windows is original. The wavy appearance of the glass reflects the methods used to create glass at the time. The hall light is original to the house—it was the dining room fixture. The carved handrail and the paneling on the walls is mahogany. The paneling has been returned to its original finish in a few places to give visitors a sense of what it was like when the wood was not painted. The original house may have seemed very dark, as you can see from the exposed wood on the stairs and the front door. In 1916, all of the wood on the first floor was stained, not painted.

PARLOR - Stepping into the living room, the first thing you notice is the marvelous Rookwood tile fireplace. Since the house was built at the height of the Arts & Crafts movement, it is only appropriate to have Rookwood instead of the usual marble or carved wood fireplaces typical of Georgian homes. This fireplace was purchased, delivered and installed for $100. The fireplace has been converted to gas to make it safer and cleaner to have fires in the house. The bookcases are also original to the house.

FERNERY - this is the favorite room of the Crosses. From the first time they entered the room, they knew it would accommodate their rare and unusual 1870 copper-channel stained glass window. The Third Street Glass Company of Cincinnati, Ohio, a major competitor of Tiffany Studios, executed this piece. It has 116 cut glass jewels to reflect the sunlight. The Rookwood fireplace in the room features the distinctive Viking ships tiles. Its original cost of $75 included the pine mantel. This fireplace has also been converted to gas. The handsome mosaic floor tiles can also be found on the front porch. It is all hand laid over reinforced concrete.  This is one of the first houses in the Southwest to be built with steel reinforcing. The central light and fan is original to this room.
DINING ROOM - The large dining room easily accommodates the faithful reproduction of a 16th century English Wake table that is eight feet in diameter. The run plaster frieze is a beautiful example of the craftsmanship that runs throughout the entire house. The light is not original to the house, but is a 1920 Flemish Export brass light that is appropriate for the colonial revival nature of the room. The Plasterwork in the ceiling is original, as it is in the living room. CONSERVATORY -This is one of the most unusual rooms in the house and may be the only one remaining in Waxahachie. Conservatories were common in large Victorian homes because they provided the owners with the opportunity to “show off” their acquisitions made on their “Grand Tours” of Europe. They would grow plants and bulbs that they had acquired on their trips and then would have parties to let their friends enjoy their treasures. The tile planters here are original to the house and provide a great place to grow a wide assortment of houseplants. The 1890 step back oak kitchen cabinet was added to provide a place for a sink and watering center as well as a place to store garden equipment and books.

TEXAS STAR HIBISCUS BOARDROOM & BASEMENT - This is one of the few houses in the Southwest with a basement. It only covers about one-fourth of the house, with the rest being crawl space. The Texas Star Hibiscus Boardroom is the smoking room for the house. It is done in a Texas theme to reflect a casual feel for smoking a good cigar.

A GARDENS VIEW GUEST HOUSE - On the second floor of the cottage over the three-car garage is a separate guesthouse that was completed at the same time as the original house. The Crosses have expanded the cottage to go over the third bay, which was added in the 1930s. The cottage has 600 combined square feet in the living room, two separate bedrooms, two baths, and a kitchen area. The cottage is done in a Victorian Cottage Garden style and has a working gas fireplace made from an old Parcel Post window. The views of the gardens and ponds from the guesthouse are wonderful.

As is true of the main house, the clay roof tiles of the cottage are by the same manufacturer as the original tiles of the house. Tiles by the same manufacturer have been used to roof the pergola.

ANGELICA CHAPEL - The Angelica Chapel (completed in 2000) is named after the herb angelica, which is dedicated to Saint Michael, the Archangel. Walk down the drive to the backyard and take the walkway to the Chapel. Before entering, you will be greeted by an angel sculpture that is a reproduction of one found in the Victorian and Albert Museum. For the winter season, the Chapel houses the garden’s tender plants, acting as a solarium as well as a place of worship. The floor is hand laid with antique Texas bricks. The glass is tempered glass and the greenhouse has its own central heat and air unit.

PERGOLA - Although recently completed in 2001, the pergola, fashioned after a Greek Temple, is made of pieces from old houses in Waxahachie. The roof tiles are from an old bank in New Orleans. The bronze grates are from a historic store in St. Louis.

GARDENS - The grounds are an interesting collection of seven historic gardens. Guests are invited to use a brochure available for a self-guided tour.  After dark, landscape lights in the backyard trees make visiting the Western Water Gardens and the Bible Garden enjoyable and easily accessible.