Emerald House

May 16

Built in 1889, the Emerald House is Crockett County’s oldest surviving structure. Originally constructed in the now ghost town of Emerald, as part of a Fort Worth and Rio Grande Railway Company town-building effort, it was relocated seven miles west to Ozona, the new county seat, in 1891.

From 1893 to the late 1970s, the house sheltered numerous Ozona families. In a burst of pioneer enthusiasm, it was restored and moved to the city’s Fairgrounds Park in 1983 to anchor a planned museum complex. However, the museum vision faded in the early 2010s, leaving the house underused. Its current site, lacking fencing, signage, and visibility, exposes it to vandalism and renders it nearly invisible to residents and visitors.

A recent evaluation by Preservation Texas, commissioned by Crockett County, found that the 136-year-old structure is in overall good condition and needs only minor repairs. The Crockett County Commissioners and newly reorganized Crockett County Historical Commission are dedicated to securing a new, permanent site for the house and developing a sustainable plan with consistent funding to preserve the Emerald House for future generations.