MIDLAND, Texas — When you think of historic Midland homes, you might think of the Bush Family Home.
But a house people might not know about is the oldest house still in Midland: the Brown-Dorsey Medallion Home.
On Tuesday, the Midland Historical Society opened that house up to celebrate the Fourth of July their way: dressed up like the time period the house was built in, which was 1899.
"Today we're trying to recreate the Fourth of July as it might be in 1900," Midland Historical Society President Jim Collett said. "We've owned this house since the late 1960s when the last member of the family passed on. And we've maintained it as a historic property, and restored it as it looked when the family lived here in the early 1900s. And so to continue to pique people's interest in the home, we've tried to have special events here. Like what would it be like on the Fourth of July at this house? What would it be like at Christmas in the house? So we do tours on a regular basis, but we also do special event tours."
The house was home to the Brown family, who helped establish Midland's first Catholic Church: St. George's.
The Browns were prominent citizens of early Midland, led by Zachary "Z.T." Taylor Brown. Brown raised sheep, had a mercantile business, ranched and did real estate. He and his wife, Sarah, lived here with their six children: Mary, Joseph, Charlie, Sarah Ursiline, Jennie and Paul.
The event had classic games, such as horseshoe and washers, and even had homemade ice cream and lemonade.
An event for the ages, for the house of the ages; 123 years and still standing strong.