Scott-Barker House

Jun 5

Built around 1880, the Scott-Barker House is the oldest remaining building in the rapidly developing city of Melissa, originally laid out in 1872 along the Houston & Texas Central Railroad north of Dallas. The two-story frame house, built on an L-plan, has distinctive dormer windows topped with unusual Mansard-style roofs. The house was restored in the 1990s and designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1999 before it was purchased by the City of Melissa for offices and civic use.

Like many communities in the region, Melissa has lost much of its historic fabric as the DFW Metroplex expands into previously rural areas. In 2023, city officials began discussing plans to demolish the building or move it offsite to make way for new development. Local organizations such as the Melissa Historical Society and the Friends of Melissa Parks seek a solution that would enable the one-of-a-kind house to remain on its original site and be open to the public as a visitor center, museum, or meeting venue, serving as a reminder of Melissa's 19th-century origins.