The Murrell House was built around 1845 for George and Minerva Murrell. George Murrell, a wealthy Virginia merchant, married Minerva Ross, niece of Principal Chief John Ross. The family settled in Park Hill at the time of the Trail of Tears with the Ross family. After Minerva’s death, George married her sister Amanda.
The Civil War brought strife to the Cherokee Nation as the tribe divided between North and South. The Murrell and Ross families also found themselves divided. Murrell, a Virginian, supported the Confederacy, while his wife’s family, the Ross’, supported the Union. At the start of the war, the Murrells moved to Virginia, and the house was cared for by members of the Ross family. Throughout the war, the home survived repeated raids by both Union and Confederate Cherokee factions. It’s believed that the home was spared from ruin because of the family’s connections to both the Union and the Confederacy.
Today the Murrell house is the only plantation home which still remains in Oklahoma.
George Murrell Historic House Travel Details
Open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is between $4-7.
Directions: The George Murrell home is just outside of Tahlequah in Park Hill, to the southeast. Follow the signs to the site. For specific directions, click the “Directions” link in the location bubble of the map above and enter your starting location on the left.
GPS & Map: 35.85568313351524,-94.958975315094
