The Brown Center of Lamar State College, Orange

4205 Park Avenue
Orange, TX 77630
(409)882-3350
Website

Brown Center of Lamar State College, Orange is a replica of a late 1700s antebellum plantation situated on 62 beautifully landscaped acres. Completed in 1956, the home comprises approximately 20,000 square feet and consists of 20 rooms: four bedrooms, six bathrooms, two family rooms, a formal dining room, drawing room (now a second dining room), library, solarium, kitchen with butler's pantry, freezer room, laundry room, office, and hobby room. It also features two foyers, two porches, a three-car garage, and a working basement.

Originally called Linden of Pinehurst, it was designed after the famous antebellum Linden home in Natchez, Mississippi, after Gladys Slade Brown toured it in the 1930s. Architects obtained the original plans from the Library of Congress in 1947, but due to material shortages brought on by World War II, construction was shelved until 1952. The house cost over $1 million to construct. To replace it today with the same quality materials and workmanship, the house would cost over $10 million.

88 acres of the property were later turned over to Lamar University to be used as a center of cultural and educational activities. It is now open for tours and special events, including conferences and seminars.