The Praire Sentinel
A shared interest in the preservation of fine old architectural structures has motivated two Houstonians to combine their resources to save and restore a mansion with a history as exciting as any that could be found in a tale of adventure.
The men are architect James Bishop and realtor Lewis B. Ransopher; the house is the old Stafford manor near Columbus, Texas. A house of great beauty and generous proportions, the Stafford place was involved in the unfolding of a Gothic plot that encompassed the spectrum of man’s emotions — love, hate, despair, greed, envy, desire. The plot centered around a feud between the warring factions of two wealthy, influential families in the post-Civil War struggle for land, power and the good life. The Townsends controlled the politics of Columbus, and the Staffords controlled the economy. Their feuding led to bloodshed, broken hearts and shattered dreams of greatness for a Texas town.
Tied up in litigation for many years, the house was finally released through the united efforts of Bishop, Ransopher and the two women who inherited it from their grandmother. Where for so long it looked like the end for this historic house, now the future looks rosy.