TEXARKANA, Texas (KTAL/KMSS) – A unique property of the Texarkana Museum System is believed to be the only one of its kind in the country.

Texarkana Museum Systems Board of Directors’ President Velvet Cool loves telling the story of the Ace of Clubs house. “It’s only been renovated once, it was built in 1885, and it was renovated in 1901.”

The house is shaped like a club, and Cool believes she may know the reason why. “Rumor has it that the money to construct the house was won in a poker game and that the winning card was the Ace of Clubs,” she said.

The three-story home features large rooms, many of which have a different kind of door. “We believe one of the reasons they might’ve had these tambour doors is because in the old days, you got taxed based on the number of rooms you had. It’s one reason you won’t find a lot of closets in homes because anything that had a door created a room,” said Cool.

The basement of the home is surrounded by a moat. Cool said that with the help of the cupola, a steady stream of air is created. “In our hot summer days, back in the 1800’s, when there was no air conditioning, it really made the house quite comfortable.”

Guided tours of the home are available to the public. Museum officials invite everyone to come and take a glimpse of life back in the 1800’s. “Seeing things and being exposed to things that you don’t normally see, it sort of ignites sparks in people, and you never know where that spark may take someone.”

You can find more information on the Ace of Clubs house at http://www.texarkanamuseums.org/ or on Facebook @AceofClubsHouse.