Bay City

Year Marker Erected: 1986
Location: Gate was locked; not door neighbor verified 6/6 house has been moved and is presently off FM 1728 approximately 2 miles south on FM 3156 - being restored

Marker Text:
Charles Leroy Smith (1863-1918) was born in Mississippi and developed lumber, oil, and banking businesses in Louisiana. In 1910 he bought more than 6,000 acres here and built this house as a hub for his plantation and the community he named Ashwood. The structure is framed with pine and the exterior is clad with cypress, all cut at Smith's Mill at Merryville, LA. The 2-story, 5-bay front with central hall and rear ell defines a very late example of a popular Texas configuration. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1986