Starr Family Home State Historic Site

10/20/2026

Finally crossed "paint the exterior" off the ultimate to-do list! What do we think?

Stop by and check it out, we are open for tours 10 am to 4 pm Tuesday through Saturday.

10/09/2026

08/06/2026

We want to share a few updates with our wonderful visitors & supporters of Starr Family Home State Historic Site.

Our museum educator has recently accepted a new opportunity, leaving us with a smaller staff as we begin the search for the next person to join our team. During this transition, we're also excited to announce that our historic house museum will be receiving a fresh coat of exterior paint!

The museum will remain open Tuesday - Saturday 10:00am - 4:00pm throughout the painting project. We hope you'll continue to stop by & visit us while improvements are underway.

Because of our reduced staffing & the construction taking place on site, you'll notice fewer special events & public programs on our calendar for the foreseeable future. This allows us to focus on providing a safe & enjoyable experience for everyone while continuing to care for this special place.

We truly appreciate your patience, understanding, & continued support during this time of transition. We look forward to sharing updates as the painting progresses & as we welcome a new educator to our team.

Thank you. We hope to see you soon!

07/31/2026

For our final Foodways Friday of July, we’re ending our month of ices & cold foods with a true taste of summer: Watermelon Ice from The First Texas Cook Book (1883).

Watermelon Ice

Select a very ripe and red melon. Scrape some of the pulp & use all the water. A few of the seeds interspersed will add greatly to its appearance. Sweeten to taste & freeze. If wished very light, add the whites of three eggs, thoroughly whipped, to one gallon of the mixture just as it begins to congeal. Beat in very hard.

From lemon sherbet to frozen peaches, strawberry cream, & now watermelon ice, we hope you’ve enjoyed exploring these 1880's summer treats with us. Which one would you most like to try?

07/24/2026

Our journey through ices & cold foods continues with another sweet recipe from The First Texas Cook Book (1883). This week, we’re sharing a recipe for Strawberry Cream - a simple frozen dessert that highlights one of summer’s favorite fruits.

The cookbook first gives a recipe for a frozen whipped cream made by whipping one quart of cream until light, then mixing it with the well-beaten whites of four eggs. After sweetening & adding flavoring, the mixture could be frozen into a delicious dessert. The recipe even notes that it could be enjoyed without freezing by simply being chilled thoroughly over ice.

For Strawberry Cream:

Have the cream sweetened & when beginning to freeze, add an equal amount of strawberries.

Whether enjoyed in the 1880s or today, strawberry & cream is a combination that never goes out of style. Would this historic frozen treat make it onto your summer dessert table?

07/17/2026

We’re continuing our month of ices & cold foods with another chilly treat from The First Texas Cook Book (1883). This week’s recipe is for Frozen Peaches & if you’re a fan of a certain seasonal peach shake that makes its return every summer, this one might sound familiar!

Frozen Peaches

Peel & pass through a colander very soft free-stone peaches & sweeten. Have in your freezer an equal quantity of cream also sweetened, & when it begins to freeze add the fruit & freeze hard. The peaches may be chopped fine if preferred. Milk may be substituted for cream if necessary.

07/10/2026

Before we get to this week's recipe, did you catch last week's video of our manager bravely taste testing some unusual foods from our Food Oddities program? 😂 It was a lot of fun to make (& even more fun to watch!). If you haven't seen it yet, be sure to check it out!

Now, on to this week's cool treat! Since we're celebrating ices & cold foods all month long, we're sharing a refreshing recipe for Lemon Sherbet from The First Texas Cook Book (1883), page 170.

Lemon Sherbet
Two pounds sugar, eight lemons, four quarts water. Strain carefully & freeze. A can of finely chopped pineapple may be added to this if desired.

Simple ingredients, but on a hot Texas summer day, this would have been a welcome treat. Imagine the excitement of enjoying a homemade frozen dessert in the 1880s!

Have you ever made homemade sherbet? Do you have a favorite frozen summer treat?

07/07/2026

This summer, your next adventure is closer than you think.

Built in 1871, the Starr Family Home offers a window into Marshall's past through beautifully preserved architecture & engaging stories. Step inside & experience a piece of East Texas history that's closer than you think.

Skip the long drive. Bring the family. History is waiting just down the road.

Find itineraries, events, & more at thc.texas.gov/roamontherange

Starr Family Home State Historic Site · 407 W. Travis St., Marshall, TX
Tues-Sat, 10am-4pm · Tours available

07/02/2026

We're posting a day early for Foodways Friday to bring you a modern review of some historic foods! Yesterday our site manager was brave enough to sample some of the unusual dishes featured in our Historic Foodways program, including a "modern" take on aspic (SpaghettiOs Jello), & we've got the video to prove it!

Watch to find out whether these flavors deserve a comeback or should stay firmly in the past.

07/01/2026

Don’t miss out on seeing these beauties & more odd food creations on display in person today until 2pm! (Program is included with regular admission rates)