C.T. Rather House

Charles Taylor Rather was born on June 20, 1855, in Huntsville, Texas, to George Washington Rather and Mary Chamberlain Womack Seay Rather, who had moved to Texas from Tennessee in 1852. After graduating from Austin College, Charles came to nearby Leesville at the age of sixteen to live with his sister. By 1878, he had moved to Belmont, working as a store clerk before opening his own successful business. On September 29, 1880, he married Ella Gertrude Grubbs, and together they built a prosperous life.

Charles Rather quickly became one of the largest landowners in the county and played a significant role in the local banking industry, serving as Chairman of the Board of the Farmer’s National Bank for ten years. He also co-founded the Gonzales Cotton Oil and Manufacturing Company and was instrumental in developing the Gonzales Cotton Mill. In addition, he co-owned the prominent Randle-Rather Building in downtown Gonzales.

In 1892, the same year his house was completed, major developments were taking place in the town, including the establishment of the Electric Light and Power Company and the construction of other significant buildings, such as the Solomon Joseph House.

In 1910, Charles and Ella Rather sold the house and relocated to Austin. The property passed through various owners before being purchased in 1986 by Mary Rather, the great-niece of Charles, who was notable for serving as a longtime secretary to Lyndon B. Johnson and Lady Bird Johnson after the president’s passing. Ella Rather died in 1919, and Charles passed away on October 10, 1931, shortly after returning from the family’s summer home in Maine. Both are buried in Austin.

Rather’s house was built using high-quality Louisiana cypress and Bastrop white pine, with William H. Kishbaugh serving as the builder. Designed as a Victorian-style interpretation of the classic Texas dog-trot house, it stands on part of the original Gonzales College grounds. Many of its distinctive Victorian features have been carefully preserved, including the longleaf pine paneling, intricate hardwood floors, and a brick cistern on the veranda. The original Gonzales brick sidewalks still line the expansive lawn, adding to its historic charm.