Our next stop is the Whaley House at 101 East Whaley Street. Built in 1871 for Franklin Lucilius Whaley, this Victorian home is one of the oldest surviving residences in Longview and one of its most historically significant.
Whaley was a hardware merchant, a founding member of First Baptist Church of Longview, and later served as the city’s mayor in 1891. His home was considered the showplace of the newly platted town, featuring ornate woodwork, decorative brackets, and welcoming porches that reflected the optimism of Reconstruction era Texas.
The Whaley House also played an important role in Gregg County’s early government. Before the first courthouse was completed in 1876, Whaley’s upstairs hardware store served as a courtroom and hosted the county’s first court sessions. The property remained in the Whaley family until 1979, when it was converted into a law office, a fitting continuation of its legal connection. Today it stands as a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark, linking modern Longview to its earliest days.