FORNEY, TX — Standing tall at 315 South Bois D’Arc Street, the Potts-Reagin House has witnessed the transformation of Forney for over a century. Built in 1895, the landmark structure turns 130 years old this year, celebrating a rich legacy as one of the town’s most historically significant homes.
The house was originally built for John Potts, manager of the S.B. Cain Lumber Company, during a time of unprecedented agricultural prosperity. It wasn’t just a family home—Potts operated the property as one of Forney’s first hotels and boarding houses, according to records from the Spellman Museum of Forney History. Piano lessons echoed through the parlor, and the kitchen was expanded to serve the many guests who passed through during Forney’s early economic boom.
In 1917, the property changed hands when it was sold to J.C. Reagin for $3,000—a considerable sum at the time. Reagin, a Tennessee native who had just organized Forney State Bank, transformed the home into a generational residence. It remained in the Reagin family for 87 years, anchoring a lineage that spanned much of Forney’s 20th-century growth.
As the decades passed, the house evolved with the times. The ornate Victorian ornamentation gave way to classical revival details, reflecting the changing architectural tastes of the early 1900s. According to documentation from the Spellman Museum, the two-story L-plan structure shows “historic layering”—featuring box columns on the front porch while retaining the ghost of its earlier woodwork in its now-removed rear veranda. The home's architectural hybridity tells a unique story of how Forney’s styles, economy, and people changed over time.
In 2004, the Reagin House left the family’s care and was sold for commercial use. Since then, it has housed various tenants and experienced periods of vacancy. Yet through all its transformations, it remained a landmark—affectionately known by locals simply as “The Reagin House.”
In 2021, the property was purchased by Forney attorneys Robert Guest and Scott Gray as the new headquarters for Guest and Gray Law Firm. After a significant renovation, the Reagin House is thriving in its new role as a law office.
“The Reagin House is historic landmark in Forney. We have a duty to preserve this unique building for future generations." said Robert Guest, Partner at Guest and Gray Law Firm. Guest added "We get at least 1-2 calls a year from people looking to paint their home the same color as our office. They will ask about the color, which is Robin Egg Blue."
The attorneys say their focus was to retain the building’s historical character while preparing it for a new life as a law office. The Reagin house is active, visible, and appreciated—not just as a relic, but as a functional part of Forney’s evolving landscape.