This scaled-down replica of the presidential White House was completed in 1927 for oil executive Ross S. Sterling (Texas Governor, 1931-1933). The mansion stood as a landmark on the Houston Ship Channel. With 21,000 square feet of floor space, this was known as the largest private residence in Texas at the time it was built. The home has 7 fireplaces, 15 baths, and 34 rooms--including a dining room that can seat 300 guests. In 1946 Sterling donated his mansion to a civic club, and it was used as a juvenile home until 1961.
