The Jean and Price Daniel House
The exterior of the Jean and Price Daniel House
is patterned after the Greek Revival style Texas Governor's
Mansion, built by Abner Cook between 1854 and 1856. Although
Cook's plans for the Austin mansion included wings on either
side of the house, they were not added due to insufficient funds.
The wings of the Price Daniel House were constructed in the
Greek Revival style; the balustrades and Ionic columns of the
house were patterned after those built by Cook. Except for the
entry hall and stairs, the interior of the Price Daniel House
is unlike that of the Governor's Mansion.
Construction of the Price Daniel House began in
May 1982 and was completed in December 1983. The 7,318 square
foot house was officially opened in April 1984. In 1985, the
Daniels, reserving a life interest in the house, donated the
home and ten acres to the Texas State Library and Archives Commission.
Full ownership passed to the State of Texas in October 1998.
Officially known as the "Jean and Price Daniel Home and Archives,"
the house preserves and displays the library, archives, furniture,
and mementos that document the Daniels' lives and years of public
service. Artifacts of interest in the home include two paintings
by Porfirio Salinas; official portraits of Jean and Price Daniel;
and many awards given to the Daniels.
The Price Daniel House, maintained and funded
by the Atascosito Historical Society, is located on the grounds
of the Sam Houston Regional Library and Research Center, a part
of the Archives and Information Services Division of the Texas
State Library and Archives Commission. Located 3 miles north
of Liberty on FM 1011, off of State Highway 146, the Center
is open Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM and Saturday 9 AM
to 4 PM. Free admission. For further information, telephone
936-336-8821 or write PO Box 310, Liberty, TX 77575-0310. Tours
are available by appointment; group tours must be arranged two
weeks in advance.
Comments or complaints regarding programs and
services of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission
may be addressed to: Director and Librarian, PO Box 12927, Austin,
TX 78711-2927; 512-463-5460; fax 512-463-5436.
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JEAN AND PRICE DANIEL
Price Daniel, the son of Marion Price and Nannie
Partlow Daniel, was born October 10, 1910 in Dayton, Texas.
He attended Baylor University, where he earned a BA in Journalism
(1931) and a law degree (1932). Daniel practiced law until 1938
when he was elected a state representative. In this position
(1939-1943), he fought against a state sales tax and was involved
in the development of the Trinity River. He became speaker of
the Texas House of Representatives in 1943; he later enlisted
as a private in the U.S. Army. In 1944, Daniel enrolled in Officer
Candidate School and was commissioned as a 1st lieutenant.
While Texas Attorney General (1947-1953), Daniel
fought against price fixing and organized gambling, and began
his defense of the Texas tidelands. He continued the struggle
into the U.S. Senate (1953-1957) and co-sponsored legislation
that confirmed state ownership of the land. As senator, he fought
against communism and drug trafficking. Daniel was governor
of Texas from 1957 to 1963 and from 1967 to 1969 served as director
of the U.S. Office of Emergency Preparedness under President
Lyndon Johnson. Daniel was an associate justice of the Texas
Supreme Court from 1971 to 1978. For sixteen years, he was a
member of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission. Daniel,
who held more high state elective positions that any other Texan,
died on August 25, 1988.
On June 28, 1940, Price Daniel married Jean Houston
Baldwin, a great-great-granddaughter of Sam Houston. Born on
February 13, 1916 to Franklin T. "Star" and Jean Houston John
Baldwin, Jean Daniel attended Rice University and the University
of Texas, where she graduated cum laude with a BA in English.
As First Lady of Texas, Mrs. Daniel established the Texas Governor's
Mansion Historical Collection in Austin and published the first
comprehensive inventory of Mansion's furnishings. From 1988
to 1992, she served as a member of the Texas State Library and
Archives Commission. Jean and Price Daniel had four children:
Price Jr., Jean, Houston, and John.
The Daniels' contributions to historical preservation
have been numerous. They co-authored two books, Executive Mansions
and Capitols of America (1968) and The Texas Governor's Mansion
(1985). In 1973, they donated the 110-acre site for the Sam
Houston Center.
