The Arnold–Simonton House is a historic house in Montgomery, Texas, United States. Built in 1845 by Epaphras Joseph Arnold, it is the oldest house in Montgomery.[2] It became a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1964 as the Frontier Colonial Home[2] and was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1979;[3] however, it was delisted in 2015. Today, it serves as the museum for the Fernland Historical Park.[4]
History
Epaphras Joseph Arnold[5] was a settler from Connecticut who arrived in Texas in 1835.[3] He settled in Montgomery, working as a physician, and originally built a log cabin on the site before replacing it with the current house in 1845; the old cabin became his office.[3] Arnold went on to become a member of the Medical Censors for the Republic of Texas, served as justice of the peace, and oversaw the establishment of Montgomery Academy.[5]
Following Arnold's death in 1858, the house passed to his daughter and son-in-law, Ludie and Reuben Simonton.[5] It remained in the Simonton family until 1976, when it was donated to the Montgomery Historical Society. The following year, it was moved to a lot on Rankin Street[3] and was used as the Montgomery City Hall. It was later moved to its current site at the Fernland Historical Park,[5] where it serves as a museum.[4]
