Local farmer Alpheus S. Mason (1839-1926) constructed this house about 1866. Situated on Bagdad Road, an important early military and commercial route in central Texas, the home features a double-galleried porch with Victorian detailing. Mason, a veteran of the Civil War, was instrumental in the early growth of Bagdad (now a ghost town) and Leander (3 mi. NE) through his leadership in church, business, Masonic, and political activities. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1983