The Bullock-Bass house | (1857)
This Greek Revival–style house stands as a living time capsule from the early days of Sherman, Texas. Originally built in 1857 at 215 W. Houston Street, it occupied a central place in what would become the town’s downtown square for more than a century. In 1967, 110 years after its construction, the house was relocated to Frontier Village, becoming the first structure ever moved to the grounds.
For much of its history, the home was closely tied to Antoinette “Nettie” Bass, who was born there in 1868 and lived within its walls for her entire 98 years, passing away in the same house in 1966. Miss Nettie was a beloved and memorable figure in Sherman, often described as an old soul who seemed out of step with the modern age. She was frequently seen around town in clothing she made herself, favoring styles long out of fashion, complete with stockings and long sleeves. Her deep love of history, especially her own family’s connection to early America, shaped her identity. She traced her ancestry to the Hockers of Holland, who arrived on the Mayflower, and she cherished heirlooms said to have made that journey, including a key table and porcelain candlesticks. Aside from a brief period attending Mary Nash College, originally known as the Sherman Institute and the first girls’ school in North Texas, Nettie spent her entire life in the home.
Although the house was built by Colonel Randolph Lewis Bullock, it was its second owner, Thomas Coke Bass, who left the most dramatic mark on its history. Born around 1830 in Mississippi, Bass was a man of ambition and complexity. After being admitted to the Mississippi bar around 1858, he moved to Sherman and established a legal practice specializing in land law. Following the 1860 election of Abraham Lincoln, Bass became an outspoken supporter of secession. He is remembered for raising the first Confederate flag over the Grayson County Courthouse and soon organized a cavalry regiment from Grayson and Cooke counties. Commissioned as colonel of the Twentieth Texas Cavalry in June 1862, he led troops in Texas and Indian Territory, participated in the capture of Fort Washita, and fought at the Battle of Prairie Grove in Arkansas on December 7, 1862. He spent the remainder of the Civil War defending Indian Territory.
After the war, Bass returned to Sherman, resumed his law practice, and briefly published the Sherman Courier in 1866. On July 10, 1867, he married Ada Dalton Hocker, and together they had three children: Antoinette Porter “Nettie” in 1868, Thomas Cook Bass Jr. in 1870, and Robert Kincade Bass in 1874. Bass gained prominence through his development of the “Best System of Abstract,” a method for verifying land claims that cataloged available property across Grayson, Denton, Collin, Cooke, and Fannin counties. In 1874, he added to his notoriety by purchasing the aging Grayson County Courthouse, demolishing it, and selling its bricks for reuse. His life ended abruptly in 1878 when he answered a call for aid during a devastating yellow fever epidemic in Memphis, Tennessee. Traveling there with Dr. T. J. Heady, Bass contracted the disease and died on September 22, leaving Nettie only ten years old.
After Nettie’s death, Sherman residents hoped to preserve the home as a Pioneer Museum. However, the city planned to demolish it to make way for a parking lot as the downtown square developed. In response, the Old Settlers Association secured a 99-year lease on 17 acres in Loy Lake Park and raised $5,000 in just three days to move the house. The structure itself reflects both craftsmanship and early innovation. Built with milled lumber shipped from Jefferson by ox freight, it was the first house in the county to feature glass windows, drawing visitors from miles around. Unfortunately, after its relocation to Frontier Village, vandals destroyed all of the original window glass.
The home’s layout is reminiscent of a dogtrot design, with rooms flanking a central hallway and two additional rooms upstairs. Today, the Bass House remains the most elegant structure in the village, a striking reminder of Sherman’s past and a testament to the enduring beauty and stories of another era.
For much of its history, the home was closely tied to Antoinette “Nettie” Bass, who was born there in 1868 and lived within its walls for her entire 98 years, passing away in the same house in 1966. Miss Nettie was a beloved and memorable figure in Sherman, often described as an old soul who seemed out of step with the modern age. She was frequently seen around town in clothing she made herself, favoring styles long out of fashion, complete with stockings and long sleeves. Her deep love of history, especially her own family’s connection to early America, shaped her identity. She traced her ancestry to the Hockers of Holland, who arrived on the Mayflower, and she cherished heirlooms said to have made that journey, including a key table and porcelain candlesticks. Aside from a brief period attending Mary Nash College, originally known as the Sherman Institute and the first girls’ school in North Texas, Nettie spent her entire life in the home.
Although the house was built by Colonel Randolph Lewis Bullock, it was its second owner, Thomas Coke Bass, who left the most dramatic mark on its history. Born around 1830 in Mississippi, Bass was a man of ambition and complexity. After being admitted to the Mississippi bar around 1858, he moved to Sherman and established a legal practice specializing in land law. Following the 1860 election of Abraham Lincoln, Bass became an outspoken supporter of secession. He is remembered for raising the first Confederate flag over the Grayson County Courthouse and soon organized a cavalry regiment from Grayson and Cooke counties. Commissioned as colonel of the Twentieth Texas Cavalry in June 1862, he led troops in Texas and Indian Territory, participated in the capture of Fort Washita, and fought at the Battle of Prairie Grove in Arkansas on December 7, 1862. He spent the remainder of the Civil War defending Indian Territory.
After the war, Bass returned to Sherman, resumed his law practice, and briefly published the Sherman Courier in 1866. On July 10, 1867, he married Ada Dalton Hocker, and together they had three children: Antoinette Porter “Nettie” in 1868, Thomas Cook Bass Jr. in 1870, and Robert Kincade Bass in 1874. Bass gained prominence through his development of the “Best System of Abstract,” a method for verifying land claims that cataloged available property across Grayson, Denton, Collin, Cooke, and Fannin counties. In 1874, he added to his notoriety by purchasing the aging Grayson County Courthouse, demolishing it, and selling its bricks for reuse. His life ended abruptly in 1878 when he answered a call for aid during a devastating yellow fever epidemic in Memphis, Tennessee. Traveling there with Dr. T. J. Heady, Bass contracted the disease and died on September 22, leaving Nettie only ten years old.
After Nettie’s death, Sherman residents hoped to preserve the home as a Pioneer Museum. However, the city planned to demolish it to make way for a parking lot as the downtown square developed. In response, the Old Settlers Association secured a 99-year lease on 17 acres in Loy Lake Park and raised $5,000 in just three days to move the house. The structure itself reflects both craftsmanship and early innovation. Built with milled lumber shipped from Jefferson by ox freight, it was the first house in the county to feature glass windows, drawing visitors from miles around. Unfortunately, after its relocation to Frontier Village, vandals destroyed all of the original window glass.
The home’s layout is reminiscent of a dogtrot design, with rooms flanking a central hallway and two additional rooms upstairs. Today, the Bass House remains the most elegant structure in the village, a striking reminder of Sherman’s past and a testament to the enduring beauty and stories of another era.
