Historical Marker

Curtis Mansion (THC #5027006236)

Belton · Bell County · Dedicated 1977 · THC Atlas #5027006236

The roadside stories worth pulling over for.

Marker Inscription

Cotton broker William Ray Miller (1868-1954) and his wife Ida (Rogers) built this structure in 1902 and lived here with their large family about six years. Mrs. Miller was from Galveston, and had graduated from Baylor College (now Mary Hardin-Baylor). Born in Kentucky, Miller grew up in Belton, the son of a merchant. Noting the costliness of this house, some observers have called it "A Monument to King Cotton." A. Lon and Cora (Lee) Curtis acquired the property in 1914. It became known as the Curtis Mansion because they and their descendants occupied it for the next 59 years. Lon Curtis (1872-1934) graduated from the University of Texas, took a second degree at the University of Michigan, and began practicing law in Temple, moving to Belton when he became County Attorney. He and his wife had one son, Lee. As new owners, the Curtises brought a decorator from Kansas City to modify the house to their tastes. Noted for its hospitality as well as its architecture, it remained a show place of the city. In 1973, Lee Curtis sold the mansion. It now is a complex of luxury suites, preserved as a relic of the cotton empire that once dominated the Brazos Valley. (1977)

About this site

Curtis Mansion is a historical marker in Belton, Bell County, dedicated in 1977. It is one of 223 historical markers documented in Bell County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 399 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 31.0657, -97.4605 near Belton. The nearest cataloged historic site is Curtis Mansion (historical marker), about under a tenth of a mile away. Others within a short drive include Miller-Curtis House, Baggett, Silas and Ellen, House, and Baggett, Ele B..

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5027006236. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.

Also at or near Belton, Bell County

Curtis Mansion” names 2 distinct records in Bell County. This page is the historical marker dedicated in 1977 in Belton. The others:

📍 31.0657, -97.4605 · Belton, Bell County
Directions (Apple)Google MapsView map

Get Texas Roam — all 28,000 sites in your pocket

See this site and every marker, cemetery, courthouse, museum and landmark across Texas on one live map — find what's near you, get directions, and check in as you roam.

Download on the App Store
or open the live map in your browser →Free · ad-free · the iOS app and the web map share one account, so your visits sync across both

Nearby in Bell County