Stage 1 Exterior Projects & Starting Mothballing of Home

The Justin Heritage foundations mission is To preserve, protect, and visually reflect our unique Justin heritage so that future generations may appreciate and experience the early North Texas way of life. One of our thrilling early projects is the Gaston House, a charming farmhouse from the early 1900s nestled in city limits now. This gem boasts quirky architectural details like fish scales and sunburst designs, making it a true standout! 

The Justin Heritage Foundation and the City were granted their SUP on April 11, signaling progress in the restoration project for The Gaston House. The project is being carried out in phases, starting with mothballing. This initial phase involves fortifying the foundation, roof, and exterior to ensure the property's long-term security before the full restoration. Our primary focus of this fundraiser is addressing the foundation as our first significant task. Your contribution today will assist in stabilizing the property's foundation and restoring the house to its original character. Originally constructed with bodark pillars, the house requires updates to maintain its structural integrity for future generations to enjoy.

We teamed up with some genius engineers to cook up a dazzling blueprint for our project. Pictured above: raised beds, a charming windmill, a rusty tractor, and a cozy pavilion for mini markets. This place is all about community vibes. We're on a mission to whisk everyone away to a slice of the past when life was sweet and simple.

About The Gaston House

Built in the early 1900's by the Gaston family. Stephen L Gaston purchased this land, and established a farm here after serving as a farmhand on the Barrington farm for several years. The house was built somewhere between 1903-1908. This beauty is covered in old charm with fish scale details, and wood accents throughout the house.  Today the house sits on 6 lots that were donated to the city from the Preserve Development. It is the goal for the Justin Heritage Foundation to completely restore the house, and give it new life for many to enjoy.

Revitalizing the farmhouse, and bringing it back to our community as a space for all of the citizens of Justin to enjoy! The first goal is to begin the mothballing process which includes roofing, structural, and exterior work. The total cost of renovations is estimated to be around $500k.  The intention is that this house becomes a community treasure, that many get to enjoy now and in the future while reminding them of the farm town Justin has always been.

We need to save our heritage; we need to preserve what made Justin a place to call home. Unfortunately, our children are loosing the opportunity to see the tangible evidence of our heritage and what life was like in the great state of Texas many years ago. They deserve a historical place to see what life was like in Justin, Texas. Imagine walking through the front door and being that farmer planting row crops, trying to survive a Texas summer in 1887. Help us preserve the few remaining pieces of history within Justin; we can’t afford to lose another. Our history helps define our future; let’s not lose another opportunity.

The Gaston Family

“The Stephen L. Gaston along with his wife Emma, and their children came to Justin from Collin County in 1900. They drove to their new home on the Harrington farm from Collin County in the traditional “surrey with the fringe on top.” This farm of 714 acres was located six miles west of Justin. 

Mr. Gaston moved to Justin in 1903 so that his children could attend school. In 1906 he bought the family homeplace just west of Justin. 

In 1915 the Gaston family moved to South Texas but after 2 years they returned to Justin, where they lived on the Libbey Harmonson place for 5 year. In 1922 Steve moved his family back to the Harrington farm where he lived until his death in 1937.”  

*Grace Parr, The Justin Story