Whether it is sharing a sunset with friends on the elegant, breezy, column-framed front porch or swimming laps in the expansive back-yard pool, the Lockhart is the perfect get-away from the pressures of everyday life. Imagining the days when Sam Houston was a frequent guest is not difficult when one is walking through the immense yet gracious rooms of this historic 155-year-old home or gazing at rolling pastures from the same ancient windows the Texas hero would have used. The hand-hewn blending of cypress, cedar, oak, and pine from original 1850 plantation lands is evident in the graceful walls, doors, floors, and banister. This historical and architectural significance of the Lockhart house is further evidenced by the framed original plantation deed on the wall and the published books about the house and it's ties to Houston in the designated "Sam Houston Room."

Unlike many histori...