James A. Sewell House

Original Owner: James A. Sewell

504 Jefferson Street

Built: 1918

James Andrew Sewell was born in 1862 in Campbell County, Georgia. By 1886 he had married Elizabeth Elvira Hudgins and was living in Upshur County, Texas. The family grew to include three girls – Sallie Lee, Annie Mae and Mary Ethel – and a son, Drew. A man of many talents, he operated a farm of several hundred acres, owned and operated a cotton gin, sawmill, shingle mill, blacksmith shop, woodworking shop and operated a small commissary for his tenants and employees. Jim, Lizzie and Drew moved to Camp County and Pittsburg in early 1918. He purchased property on Jefferson Street from the Bass family and built the house at 504 Jefferson. Several acres of this property included land which is now part of Rose Hill Cemetery. Jim continued to farm, both on his property in town and a farm in the country. He built a large potato storage house behind his home in which he stored potatoes from his own farm, as well as for other farmers. In the spring of each year, he grew sweet potato plants on a plot east of his home. He shipped thousands of potato plants to Texas farmers each year. 

Jim Sewell was also active in civic affairs. He served on the City Council and on the School Board of Pittsburg. Jim and Lizzie were both lifelong members of the First Methodist Church. 

In the early 1920’s he purchased property and built a service station on what is now U.S. Hwy. 271. It was run by his son, Drew. This later became “Sewell’s,” a business owned and run by Jim Sewell’s grandson, James.