What is the Goodman-LeGrand House Museum Garden Project?

The Goodman-LeGrand House Museum Garden Project is a Smith County Master Gardener initiative dedicated to organizing, researching, planting, and maintaining the historic gardens at the Goodman-LeGrand House in Tyler, Texas.

What is the purpose of the Goodman-LeGrand House historical garden?

The primary purpose of the project is to advise and assist the Goodman staff in maintaining a landscape that reflects the home’s landmark status and historical importance to the City of Tyler. The Master Gardeners focus on:

• Historical Accuracy: Creating and maintaining a garden that accurately reflects the house and its occupants between 1880 and 1930.
• Community Education: Providing educational resources and guided tours to visitors regarding early 20th-century Southern American gardens.

What is the history of the Goodman-LeGrand House in Tyler, Texas?

According to the City of Tyler’s Parks and Recreation department, the historical estate features a rich regional legacy:

• 1859 (Establishment): Samuel Gallatin Smith, a wealthy attorney, originally built the home as a one-story, four-room house on a nine-acre wooded parcel, naming it “Bonnie Castle.”
• 1861 (The Civil War): Smith sold the house to join the Confederacy as a Captain, later losing his life in a Louisiana battle.
• 1866 (The Goodman Family purchase): Dr. Samuel Adams Goodman, a retired country physician from South Carolina, purchased the estate one year after the Civil War ended.

The prominent Goodman family retained ownership, making the historic property their family home for 73 years across four generations.

For more information on the history of this magnificent home and garden, please check the City of Tyler’s web site.