In some of Houston's inner city neighborhoods, with older (75 yrs or so)
brick houses, there are, or were, many houses with women's first names
written in over the front entrances -- usually in a tile panel embedded in
the brick. We were once told that these were called "dowry houses", but
never did find out more. My husband has a small database (with pics) which
lists as many as he could find as of about 10 years ago -- many are no
longer standing. If someone wants to see that, let me know off list.

carol

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Carol McDavid, Ph.D.
1638 Branard, Houston, Texas, 77006, USA
(713) 523-2649
[log in to unmask]
www.publicarchaeology.org


----- Original Message ----- 
From: <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Saturday, October 29, 2005 4:04 PM
Subject: Re: Houses with Names?


> I have seen plantations with names, such as "Buena Vista," "Golden Hills,"
etc. in the Virginia records and this is also done in Maryland with names
such as "Essex Lodge" or "Town Point."  Also in Maryland, they named their
patented tracts as well, such as "Not So-Good-in-Finland," "Hall's Folly,"
"Good Plenty," and so on.  Such names go back to the 17th century in many
cases.  It was a way of identifying their isolated homesteads their
neighbors and visitors alike, and presumably, was a continuation of the
English custom of naming their homeplace as Paul Courtney mentioned.
>
>
>
> > This past week, I have been researching a house identified in the County
> > Recorder's records as "Sea Bluff." A few weeks ago, another house was
identified
> > as "La Casa de las Siete Candelas" (house of seven candles). Has anyone
out
> > there got ideas on why and when people named houses? Why dont we see
this
> > anymore? Is there a cultural or historical root to this practice of
naming
> > houses?
> >
> > Ron May
> > Legacy 106, Inc.
>