About the Houston Museum and Library

The Houston Memorial Library and Museum was donated by the heirs of Governor George S. Houston to be used as a library and museum. It is believed that the original purpose of the museum was to house and display artifacts from the Houston family. Unfortunately, some of the items that originally belonged to the Houston family have been lost, sold to individuals, or placed for safe-keeping in other city locations that strive to protect and preserve historical artifacts and items.
However, there are still many Houston furnishings that remain in the house including the piano, the sofa that was located in the parlor, and a table that is thought to have been used by the Governor as a desk. The museum also houses a wide variety of artifacts from Athens and Limestone County. There is a collection of archival documents, photographs, period appropriate furniture, and other artifacts that include arrowhead collections, cannonballs, spinning wheels, and others. Artifacts, representative of the growth and development of Athens, have been donated or placed on loan by individuals in the community. In addition, there is a Genealogy Room that contains a growing collection of materials for genealogical research and information on family ancestry.
It is important to note that the library portion of the Houston House is considered to be somewhat of a museum in itself. It is a traditional lending library that continues to use the Dewey Decimal System, a card catalog, and a hand stamp for due dates in books; consequently, there are no computers to locate or scan books.
However, there are still many Houston furnishings that remain in the house including the piano, the sofa that was located in the parlor, and a table that is thought to have been used by the Governor as a desk. The museum also houses a wide variety of artifacts from Athens and Limestone County. There is a collection of archival documents, photographs, period appropriate furniture, and other artifacts that include arrowhead collections, cannonballs, spinning wheels, and others. Artifacts, representative of the growth and development of Athens, have been donated or placed on loan by individuals in the community. In addition, there is a Genealogy Room that contains a growing collection of materials for genealogical research and information on family ancestry.
It is important to note that the library portion of the Houston House is considered to be somewhat of a museum in itself. It is a traditional lending library that continues to use the Dewey Decimal System, a card catalog, and a hand stamp for due dates in books; consequently, there are no computers to locate or scan books.