1010 West Hickory Street- Yancey House
The brick home was one of three houses fronting West Hickory built by C.C. Yancey on a last large land lot on West Oak and Hickory Street. Heralded by the Denton Record-Chronicle as “one of the largest residential property (deals) made in a number of years in Denton”, Yancey purchased the empty lot that was part of the Evers home from A. F. Evers for $18,000 in January 1920. The lot was east of the Evers home with frontage on both W. Oak and W. Hickory streets of 240 feet and a depth of 320 feet.Yancey, a realtor in Denton, built several residences in the 1920s. Three of these homes would front W. Oak Street and the other three would front to W. Hickory Street. The house at 1023 W. Oak was built by Yancey in 1921 for Judge J.W. Sullivan and his wife. Yancey built two additional homes at 1015 W Oak for Daisy Cunningham who purchased the lot from Yancey in 1924 and later built in 1930. He built the duplex at 1011 W. Oak in 1929 for Elizabeth and James Isaac Anderson. During 1922 to 1923, Yancey built the four additional homes immediately behind these three homes on West Oak Street. These homes facing West Hickory are at 1010 West Hickory, 1006 West Hickory, 1004 West Hickory and 1000 West Hickory Street. Charles C. (C.C.) & Maggie Yancey built their home at 918 Haynes Street in 1922 during this this activity.Spanish Eclectic style houses feature low pitched roofs with minimal overhang of eaves perfected with red tile roof covering. Prominent arched entrance doorways are accompanied with a principal window feature. Wall surfaces are usually stucco. The style reflects Spanish architecture as inspiration centered on the entry door and complemented with an ornate surround as from stonework. Double sash, arched, multi-paned window doors frequently open to balconies or porches. Decorative iron window grilles are common as are balustrades on cantilevered balconies. Red tiled porches are typical of this style including designed tilework and iron lighting. This is the only example in the district.
1005 West Hickory Street- Alton House Apartments
Alton House is an apartment designed by artist, Myron Stout, born in Denton in 1908. Stout decided to become a fine arts painter while a senior at North Texas State Normal College. He helped start the Denton Art League in 1935 and became its first president in 1936 until he left Denton in 1937 for New York City. In 1948 he traveled to Europe to study with abstract artist where he developed his style of bridging between Abstract Expressionism and Minimalism. In the early 1960s Stout returned to Denton to recover from illness. In recovery, he designed the Alton House building in 1962 for Earnest Simpson, his nephew, to be built on land owned by his family. Stout was awarded the Guggenheim art award in 1969. In 1977 he had a retrospective at the Contemporary Arts Museum in Houston. His work is in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art, the Carnegie Institute Museum of Art, and institutions around the world. Stout died in August 1987. Simpson built Alton House Apartments as the North Texas State University continued to grow. Alton House was open for the start of the fall semester in 1963, featuring the interior design created by Stout based on the Italian Provincial style. Stout included in his design parking for vehicles on the ground floor under the apartments.
928 West Hickory Street- Rayzor-Graham House
J. Fred Rayzor (1890-1965) and his wife Lucile Edmonds (1892-1945) purchased the lot at 928 West Hickory from his father, J. Newton Rayzor in 1911. The Rayzors contracted with M. T. Goodwin for a one-story frame house of six rooms on March 28, 1912, to be finished in 60 days for $2,600.70 W. E. and Nannie Moody Graham moved from Lubbock to Denton in 1933 and in 1941, purchased this home from the Rayzors. When W. E. Graham died in 1963, Nannie lived in the house until she sold it in 1974.71 This Colonial Revival style house has the typical symmetrically balanced windows with centered door. The adjacent paired windows have double hung sashes, with multi-pane glazing in the upper sashes. The single-story house was common in the 1920s and 1940s, like Cape Code cottage style house. Uncommon is the large porch instead of an accentuated front door entry. Other examples include 919 West Hickory and 911 West Hickory as a two-story style with the typical front door entry complemented with extended forward porch. There are ten notable Colonial Revival buildings constructed between 1905 and 1940 in the district. Several examples displaying prominent levels of integrity are found at 911 West Hickory and 1010 West Hickory with Spanish Eclectic influence.
815 West Hickory Street- Ray House
Mable Ray was a librarian in the Junior High School in Denton by 1930. By 1934, she became the English teacher at the Junior High School and became increasing involved as the Pep Club sponsor, director of plays and activities. Ray is recorded as living at 807 West Hickory in 1935 when she acquired 815 West Hickory. The stated built data is 1940 when Ray built this home, which she sold in April 1945.The Coit House at 904 West Oak Street burnt in 1944 and severely damaged the Queen Anne style house built in 1893. In 1945, Ray acquired 904 West Oak Street to become her home and is noted as beginning to remodel the two-story frame house in 1948. The following year, Ray built the current Ranch style home on the lot and the remains of the Queen Anne style home were used to construct the two homes at 901 and 907 Gregg Street, immediately behind 904 West Oak Street.Ranch style houses are a creation of modern American design, created by Californian architects. This style reflects full adoption and dependence on automobiles for transportation to newly created suburbs. Following World War II, compact houses on city lots could become rambling houses on suburban lots. The feature of massive facades widths repeats that lot sizes were larger. This width of the house style is extended further with integral garages incorporated as part of the building. Ranch style features are typically one story, asymmetrical designs with low pitches roof lines, commonly hipped, with wide overhanding eaves. Facades were commonly brick or wood, complemented with decorative iron or wooden porch supports. Private outdoor living spaces in the rear of the house directly contrast to large front and side porches on most earlier house styles. There are 14 ranch homes in the district, most constructed between 1945 and 1965. Ranch style examples are located at 904 West Oak and 420 Fulton.
700 West Hickory Street- Vance Ice Station and Store; Alterations and non-original materials
F.M. Vance was the original builder of this suburban ice block storage facility. By 1933, the building was repurposed as general store for the neighborhood, carrying ice, cold drinks, fruit, groceries, ice cream and other treats. In 1965, the store was again repurposed to become the Wilson Bakery. Davis Purity Bakery moved to the site in 1973 and remained active as the local bakery for over 40 years.
723 Oak Street- Otis House
Home in the style of Queen Anne originally owned by Otis Graham
722 West Oak Street- Christal House
James Russell Christal rose to the rank of cowboy on his great-uncle Burk Burnett’s 6666 Ranch near Wichita Falls. Injuries forced his return to Denton, where he started the Golden Hoof Ranch, a showplace for award-winning sheep and cattle. He served as the president of the Alliance Milling Company from 1900 to 1909, vice-president of the Exchange National Bank from 1909 to 1912, and president from 1912 to 1926. He helped establish the North Texas Normal College, now known as the University of North Texas. Annetta Ramsay and Randy Hunt purchased the Christal House from their daughter in 2004 and secured the RTHL marker in 2015.Frank Craft, builder of other houses on West Oak Street, built this house in 1906 for the Christals. The house is high Victorian Italian Villa style, with a wide veranda on three sides supported by Corinthian columns. The Palladian entrance has leaded beveled glass side windows. The Craftsman style interior features tiger eye oak, bird’s eye maple and long leaf pine floors. A carriage house behind the main house stored the house and buggy used to return to the Golden Hoof Ranch each weekend. This Queen Anne style house has steeply pitched roof lines with irregular shape with a dominate front facing gable highlighted with an oval window. A front bay window arched second story porch and wide eaves are devices used to evade a smooth walled façade with an asymmetrical design. The full width porch wraps three sides of the twostory house. Decorative detailing with Italianate influence includes columns as porch supports, spindle rails, lead-caned windows, elaborate entry motif and a single large pane of glass set in the door surrounded by leaded sidelights. Another example Queen Anne house is located at 923 West Oak and includes wall texture variations and a tower with curved glass window.
812 Oak Street- Walter and Barbara McClurkan
Tudor revival style home originally owned by Walter and Barbara McClurkan
811 West Oak Street- Martin-Russell House
Dr. M. L. Martin (1869-1941) and his wife, Ailsey (Forester) Martin (1890-1968) completed this house in 1926. Ailsey grew up on the nearby Forester Ranch (established 1852) with the celebrated "Two-I-Jinglebob" brand. Dr. Martin was born in South Carolina and received degrees from Peabody College (Nashville, TN) in 1892 and the University of Texas at Austin in 1899. He served in the medical corps during World War I and was a doctor in Denton for forty years until his death. Pilot Point native James Holford Russell and his wife, Ava Lee (Mars) Russell, bought the house in 1945. Russell managed Russell's Department Store, part of a family business that debuted in Denton in 1925. The Russells lived here until 1967.Prominent features of the Georgian Revival style house include its red brick veneer and white stone trim, green-tinted tile roof with dormers, arched windows with keystones, pedimented entryway door surround, wrought iron balconies and symmetrical massing.72 This Colonial Revival style house has the typical symmetrically balanced windows with centered door. The adjacent paired windows have double hung sashes, with multi-pane glazing in the upper sashes on the second story and full multi-pane glazing for the center opening windows downstairs. The design focuses attention on the accentuated front door details without a porch. Georgian influence highlights arched fanlights over the large lower windows and incorporated as part of the dormer windows, with corner stone accents around the windows. Other examples include 912 West Oak and 915 West Oak as a two-story style houses with typical front door entry complemented with extended forward porch. This is the only example of this style house in the district.
819 West Oak Street- Scripture-Deavenport House
Annie and Robert Scripture constructed the Scripture Building on the Square in 1882 to house their grocery business. In 1886, their home at 819 West Oak Street was completed, using locally fired brick handmade in Denton. The original house was a two-story Italianate style building. They sold their home on May 10, 1890, to Edmund Hann, a dentist, who transferred the title to Robert Hann, his father. Robert Hann, who with his brother John Hann, owned the dry goods store on the south side of the square. Robert was active in the founding of the North Texas Normal College on the square and helped to secure the donated land on West Hickory which became the future home of the University of North Texas. Robert Hann sold their home in 1905 to Berry Deavenport. Deavenport (1858-1918) was one of the earliest millers in Denton, was also a banker, and one of the ten men who founded the North Texas Normal College. Deavenport helped to organize the Denton County National Bank in 1892, where he was a director and the initial cashier. He also owned and insurance agency, was city treasurer and a member of the school board.Berry and Mary Deavenport created extensive changes to the original home in 1912. The house doubled in size and the exterior appearance altered to Mission Revival Style. They built a cottage behind their home in 1916 at 822 West Hickory Street. Following Berry’s death, Mary moved to 822 West Hickory Street and sold the home to Mrs. Nannie Turner. In 1976, Carroll and Betty Rich purchased the home. Carroll secured the first RTHL marker for a home in Denton in 1980 as he worked with Bullett Lowry to secure the historical preservation ordinance efforts and historic landmarks.69 This Mission style house has asymmetrical roof parapet complemented with a porch parapet which provides it nickname of “the Alamo House.” A large quatrefoil window is centered below the roof parapet like Rose Windows in found in the San Antonio Missions. Brick coping outline the parapets. Wide overhanging eaves accent the large open porch supported with large square piers between the arched supports. While the exterior walls are brick, they are presented as smooth stucco. The common red tile roofing is not present, which is found on the other Mission style house at 619 Pearl.
918 West Oak Street- Lipscomb-Doggett House
Dr. Priestly Lipscomb (1869-1942) built this house for his wife, Molly Binyon (1871-1942). W.T. Doggett (1883-1957), superintendent of Denton City Schools, purchased the home in 1920 and updated it with modern Craftsman-style exterior features. The Superintendent of Denton City School, William Doggett, purchased the house in September 1921. The Doggett family owned the house until 2004.Craftsman style houses feature low-pitched, gabled (sometimes hipped) roofs with wide, unenclosed eave overhands. Roof rafters are typically exposed complemented with beams or braces commonly under gables. Porches are either full or partial width to the front of the house with roof supports featuring tapered square columns or columns on pedestals extending to ground level. Additional details include triangular knee braces supporting overhanging eaves, exterior chimneys, gabled dormers with windows, and use of stone and/or masonry pillars. An example of Oriental Craftsman styles house is at 818 West Oak. Typical examples fill Congress, Egan, and Panhandle streets.The peak year for new construction of Craftsman style home was 1924 with 31 homes built around the school. Examples are located at 918 Anderson; 1003 Egan; 818 West Oak; and 6 on Panhandle Street. The building boom continued in 1925 with 15 additional homes, such as 330 Ponder Street. Infill building of Craftsman style homes continued for the next several years with seven homes built in 1926, such as 1120 Congress, and in 1927 with four new homes like 704 West Hickory and three more homes built in 1928. After 1928, eight additional Craftsman style homes were built.
1003 West Oak Street- James & Eva Rayzor House
James Newton Rayzor was born in 1858 in Lockport, Kentucky, and came to Texas in 1866 with his family and settled in Collin County. Rayzor was involved in many business ventures including the Alliance Mill (now Morrison Milling Co.), Alliance Ice Company and the Rayzor Ice Company. He was a member of the John B. Denton College Committee that founded the School in 1901 and helped in establish the College of Industrial Arts (now Texas Woman's University). Rollin and Barbara Singer purchased the house in 1978, helped restore the house and joined 19 other families in rezoning the property from multi-family zoning to return to single-family zoning as an initial step to support the neighborhood in preservation and as a family community.This Prairie style home features horizontal lines, exaggerated overhanging eaves and a hipped roof over the second-story bedrooms. Ribbons of windows line the south and southeast side of the home, and repetitive millwork and tongue-and groove oak floors complement the interior. This Prairie style house features two stories with a low pitched, hipped roof with wide overhanging eaves. The first story porch is symmetrical with a wing on the left. The façade detailing emphasizes the porch eve, supported by two massive, square porch piers. Horizontal lines feature focus on the porch and upper eaves for the principal two-story mass. The off-centered door is the focal point of the full-length porch. Similar examples are found at 610 West Oak and at 615 West Oak though the front porch has been removed. There are five notable Prairie style homes constructed between 1905 and 1923 in the district. Several examples with high levels of integrity are at 610 West Oak and 801 West Oak.
1035 West Oak Street- Evers House
The Evers House at 1035 West Oak Street was built in 1903 for Robert and Mary Evers. Mr. Evers became the owner of Evers Hardware of Denton in 1885, a landmark within the Courthouse Square Historic District. Evers was active in civic affairs, served as a City Council member, and was a member of the volunteer fire department. He helped to secure sewer and water facilities of Denton, was involved as a planner for the City and County and maintained a farm on the north edge of early Denton, now Evers Park next to Evers Elementary school. The Evers house was retained by Dolph Evers, the oldest son until 1980. It is now the home of Renee and Charlie Slaton who purchased the house in 2014.One of few Denton homes in the District designed by an architect, Charles Page of Austin, the house was constructed by Frank Craft who built grand homes along West Oak Street. The home has twelve large high ceiling rooms and a smaller room designed for the servant. It includes a small basement and a third-floor family area. Fireplaces in each room provided heating while sleeping porches provided comfort. The horizontal layering of lines and forms combines many design elements: Corinthian columns and capitals supporting festooned entablature, balustrades atop uncovered porches, the Widow’s walk, leaded glass bay windows and clear cypress siding. The main entry is framed by three large columns, appearing asymmetrical on the exterior but symmetrical on the interior. The house has three gables, two with a Roman oval arch enfacement. Wrought-iron ventilators to the basement include the “lone star” pattern. The rear entry is designed for carriage admittance. The building at the back was the old carriage house where Mr. Evers kept his horse and buggy. Dolph Evers granted use of the house for the first Denton County Historical Museum in 1980.
300 Amarillo Street- Farris House
Farris was an early business leader in Denton as a lumber merchant by 1918, shipping lumber to Denton via railroad box cars. He owned the Farris Lumber Company for about 25 years while engaged in farming, ranching, and the cotton business in Denton, and lumber, hardware business in Oklahoma.A native of Denton, Farris was one of the first students at the North Texas Normal College, earning a certificate in business. He married Sallie Glenn Robinson in Denton on October 21, 1896. In 1913, he became the original homeowner of 610 West Oak Street designed as a Prairie style bungalow. In 1924, he built his next home at 818 West Oak Street as a Craftsman style brick bungalow. His third home was at 300 Amarillo Street where he and his wife resided and where Sallie operated a childcare facility.Minimal Traditional style houses are a creation of modern American design. They reflect traditional Eclectic styles, without decorative detailing, to accommodate the economic depression and storage of building supplies. Roof pitches are moderate or low. Eaves and overhangs are minimal. Typical for this style is a front facing gable accompanied with a large chimney. Common in design to Tudor style, the difference is a more compact, one-story cottage style with lower roof lines and without decorations. Combinations of wood, brick or stone create the façade. There are 27 Minimal Traditional homes in the District built between 1935 and 1949. The earliest example was constructed in 1935 at 300 Amarillo and the last constructed in 1949 at 718 Egan.
309 Amarillo Street- John T. and Lula M. Baird House
John T. (1876-1943) and Lula Mae Baird (1881-1968) contracted with I. T. Naugle to build their home in 1919. John was a native of Upshur County, Texas where he met Lula. They married in Gilmer, Texas in 1902. John became a real estate agent in Upshur County where they started their family of five children. When they moved to Denton in 1919, they rented a home on Avenue A prior to the completion of their new home. By 1930, the Bairds had moved to Dallas and rented out their former residence until 1941 when E. B and Mary Joy Spalding purchased the house. The nonhistoric cast iron porch supports have been recently replaced with tapered box columns on brick piers, while the porch’s gable end was opened and now contains an Asian character motif.
405 Amarillo Street- McClendon House
The McClendon House is one-story residence built in 1920 for Martha and Richard McClendon. It is front-gabled with partial-width entry porch supported by paired box columns, wood-framed sash windows, narrow wood siding, paneled gable ends, wide cornice boards, and exposed rafter tails. Builder Ira Thomas Naugle built 16 Craftsman style homes in district. This building is representative of the Craftsman style houses in the district. The four McClendon brothers built Craftsman houses on adjacent lots at 405, 407, 409, and 411 Amarillo Street. They all lived in Denton by 1920 and started a house painting and paper hanging company together, advertising their services in the Denton Record-Chronicle as the McClendon Brothers. By 1925, the McClendon Brothers shifted their business to retail, selling paint, varnishes, enamels, window glass and wallpaper at 409 N. Elm Street. By 1930, their parents, Richard and Cynthia McClendon lived a block away at 918 Anderson Street.
403 Mounts Street- Mounts-Wright House
The Mounts family arrived in Denton County in the 1850s from Virginia. W. H. Mount (1833-1889) and his wife, Martha Elizabeth (Mattie) Mounts (1838-1914), were early residents of Alton, the previous Denton county seat until 1857, relocating to Denton with the final move of the county seat. Through their businesses, farming and landowning, the early family contributed to the early development of Denton. The Mounts Farm began in 1867 with 15 acres centered on present day Amarillo Street. Cotton and fruit trees were grown behind the original Mounts family home which burned in 1893. In 1898, Mattie Mounts hired J. B. Wilson as the contractor for a new two-story house with eight rooms. The Queen Anne Style house features a veranda wrap-around porch, clapboard siding and fish scale shingles. The interior floors are of heart pine and the front door and stair balusters are examples of Eastlake lathe, gouge, and chisel work. The diamond window at the downstairs landing is a focal point for the house’s façade.
305 Mounts Street- Robert Mounts House
Robert Nobel Mounts (1863-1922) and Nannie Lee (Christal) Mounts (1870-1942) constructed this house as the same time his mother’s house was being built in 1898. Robert Mounts was important in furthering the ranching industry in Texas. As a young man, he worked at the 15,000+ acre Gregg Ranch northwest of Denton. After the death of Gregg Ranch owner William Gregg in 1889, Mounts managed the ranch for many years. In 1899, Robert and Nannie Mounts moved to Hereford, Texas, where he owned a vast ranch consisting of 84,000+ acres. This Queen Anne Victorian house is a reverse copy of the Mattie Mounts house. Robert Mounts’ home was built on the same floor plan as his mother’s, the Mounts-Wright House, at 402 Mounts Street. Robert worked at the Gregg Ranch. Gregg Street is named for William Gregg. Haynes Street is named for Mattie Mounts’ father, the Rev. John Haynes. Alice Street is named for Alice Mounts, and Sena Street and Aileen Street are named for Sena and Aileen Mounts, Robert’s sisters.The Central Presbyterian Church purchased the house as a manse in 1919, and it was the parsonage for its ministers until 1943. The house hosted numerous weddings that took place in the front parlor, with each bride descending the staircase. The north wing was an early addition to the house, added to accommodate the office space needed when it was used by the Central Presbyterian Church as minister’s manse from 1919-1943.
616 West Oak Street- Schweer-Jamison House
Built in 1916 by George Harris (1867-1941) for H.F. and Annie Clare Schweer. In addition to fine homes, George Harris built many public buildings such as a passenger train depot in Pilot Point and at least one public school in Denton. He was active in building in Texas and Oklahoma but concentrated his construction of homes in Denton.Born in St. Louis, Missouri, H.F. Schweer (1850-1931) moved to Denton in 1884. He met and married Annie Clare and began working in the mercantile business in Denton. He became the financing partner to the Hann family of Denton as they opened the “John A. Hann & Co.” on the Square in 1884. This dry goods store morphed to ultimately became the “J.W. Gray Co.” Gray lived at 515 Pearl Street behind the home that the Schweer’s built on Oak Street. Schweer remained a financial partner in the store, along with Mrs. John Hann. In 1889, Schweer became the cashier at the First National Bank and by 1920 became the bank president. Schweer was also active in other business developments. He was the Vice President of the Denton Oil and Development Company along with other residents of Oak Street, like R.H. Evers, President and R.P. Lomax, Secretary. They drilled the first well in Denton in 1913. In 1915, he was elected to the Board of the Denton Chamber of Commerce. The house became known as a merrymaking house for wild parties until 1928 when Schweer was arrested and charged with embezzlement from First National Bank. Mrs. Schweer attempted to save her home by opening a women’s clothing shop in her house in February 1930; however, by April 1930 the Schweers sold their home to the Wells who lived next door at 610 W. Oak, and immediately moved to Los Angeles where Mr. Schweer died in December 1931.Italian Renaissance style houses feature two stories, a low-pitched roof with wide eaves decorated with brackets supports under the eaves. Windows are typically tall and narrow with arched or curved crowns over major windows and entries. Invert U shape create elaborated arched crowns with bracketed pediments over the center door. Cornices line the eaves of Italianate houses, commonly placed on a deep trim band under the eaves. Porches are sublet in elaborations except for small entry porches. Tile roofs, stucco facades and iconic decorations are accents to this style of house. There are two notable examples in the District, the other at 1023 West Oak.
607 Pearl Street- Simmons-Maxwell House
This Mission Revival style home was built in 1915 by prominent civic leader, James W. Simmons, and his wife, Susan S. Gregg, granddaughter of Darius Gregg, Denton county pioneer and founder of the Gregg Ranch. The house is designed with an open floor plan, stucco walls, sunroom, pocket doors, a Mission Revival-style parapet, hemlock front door and leaded glass windows. Col. F. W. and Alice “Louise” Maxwell purchased the home in 1948. Col. Maxwell, wounded in the Battle of the Bulge, was a decorated veteran of WWI and WWII. Louise received the top service award from the American Red Cross for volunteer work from 1918-1958. The north wing was an early addition to the house, added to accommodate the office space needed when it was used by the Central Presbyterian Church as minister’s manse from 1919-1943.80 In 1948, Colonel Frederick W. Maxwell and his wife, Alice "Louise" Maxwell, purchased the home. In 1980, Kathy Barnett purchased the home from the estate of Mrs. Louise Maxwell. The home was awarded a City of Denton Historic Landmark in 1981 and became part of the original Oak-Hickory Historic District in 1986.
518 Pearl Street- Milton and Ruth Penry House
Milton Penry (1894-1959) was born near Forney, Texas and his family moved to Denton in 1904. Ruth (1903-1991) was a native of Denton. Milton secured W. L. Overall to build this home in 1916 prior to his service in WW I. Milton served with the Army Air Corps demobilization detachment based at Camp Travis in Austin. The couple married in Denton in 1923. Two years later, they sold their home to his widowed mother Ellen Douglas Penry in 1925 where she lived until her death in 1958. Ruth and Milton and moved to 517 Parkway, directly behind their former home. He served as Denton Postmaster from 1942 until his death in 1959. The house is characterized by a central inset entrance porch and a very low horizontal dormer.
615 Parkway Street- Arthur and Bertha Anderson House
This brick Tudor cottage (featuring a slightly flared roof and tapered chimney on the primary facade) was built for Arthur Elba (1894-1985) and Bertha Naugher Anderson (1892-1987). Arthur was born in Corinth, Texas and in 1913 was appointed as the Texas advertising manager for the Kellogg Company. He served in France with the US Army during WW I and returned to Denton. Bertha was born in Lake Dallas, and her family moved to Denton by 1910. The couple was married in 1925 and rented a home at 625 West Hickory Street. Arthur became a salesman at the Williams Store on the square, while Bertha worked for the Denton County Clerk's office and later retired as assistant manager for Denton County Electric Cooperative.
505 Parkway Street- William T. and Mable Rice House
William Thomas (1895-1987) and Mable Rice (1901-1993) hired C. W. Jacobs to build their Craftsman home in 1925. In 1908, William’s family moved from Tennessee to Denton. He became an auto mechanic and worked with his father, David Rice, who was a contractor and carpenter in Denton for over 40 years. William served during World War I, discharged as a Sergeant in 1919. Mable Brown came to Denton from Blooming Grove, Texas, to attend North Texas State Normal. Mable and William married in 1923 and built this home in 1925. William operated the College Café at 107 Ave. A until 1935 when the family moved to Sherman, Texas. The building retains a high degree of integrity despite replacement of the siding.
709 Congress Street- Denton High School
The former Denton High School campus (now a middle school) is a major landmark at the northeast corner of the district and contains the largest buildings. The high school building faces north on Congress Avenue and has a symmetrical façade composition and a T-shaped plan. The high school has two full stories over a raised basement with a central entrance bay framed by brick pilasters and a cast stone frieze inscribed “Denton High School.” The building is constructed of cast-in-place reinforced concrete with red brick facing. The roof is flat with high parapet walls at the perimeter. The historic gymnasium is at the southwest end of the campus. Originally a freestanding building, it is now connected to a series of additions extending from its north end to include an L-shaped wing to the east. The gym is red brick with buttressed walls and a low arch roof, and lacks ornament with the exception of the classical pedimented surrounds on the entrances at extreme ends of the building’s west side. Nonhistoric buildings and additions fill the space between the school and gymnasisum, but all are compatible brick buldings that leave the majority of historic building facades fully exposed.
800-802 Congress Street- Bronco Store; Alterations and non-original materials
Silas W. Koiner was the original owner of 802 Congress Street. The Great Depression hit his family had and in 1934, Koiner built the long narrow building at 800 Congress where he provided haircuts. The business grew to become the Bronco Store selling drinks and lunches, with occasional movies after school, to the students at the Senior High School across the street. The Bronco Store added school supplies and was a staple for the students until 1951.
810 Congress Street- Mattie Morrison House
Mrs. Mattie Morrison (1876-1968) was a widow when she had this small craftsman home built for herself and her daughter Opal Rae. Mattie McGaha was born in Winfield, Alabama and her family moved to Texas by 1892. She married Charles Morrison in Grayson County in December 1895, and they bought a farm near Valley View, Texas. Charley died in March 1910 and Mattie moved to Denton County with children Paul, Effrey, and Opal. The 1923 city phone book reports Mattie working as a housekeeper, with Opal Ray attending the College of Industrial Arts (now Texas Women’s University). In 1926 Opal got married, and the following year, Mattie sold the home to William Taliaferro, and moved to Portland, Oregon near her parents. She consistently returned to Denton to tend to her farm.
913 Congress Street- Charles E. and Thula M. Carruth House
Charles Elmer (1891-1969) and Thula Mae Carruth (1890-1970) purchased this lot from Cuvier Lipscomb Jr. Thula was born in Missouri, grew up in Collin County, Texas and attended the North Texas State Normal in 1916. Charles was born in Collin County, served during the WW I as a member of the psychological unit with the medical corps at Camp Travis in Austin, and married Thula in April 1919 after his discharge from the US Army. He started a photography studio on the north side of the downtown Denton square (Carruth Studio). The couple kept New Zealand White and Chinchilla rabbits in their backyard, selling breeding stock, pelts, and rabbit meat. The couple and their sons Gordon and Glen lived in the house until 1955. This is an excellent example of a smaller craftsman bungalow with narrow tapered box columns set on shingled piers, which match the house’s skirting.
503 Fulton Street- Surber House
The house was built in 1936 by Clyde Carpenter for George and Jet Surber. Carpenter was active in Denton as the general contractor for many stores and businesses including Voertman’s Book Store, New Boston Store on the Square, and several other commercial locations around the Square. Mr. Surber owned the Surber Furniture Store on the Square during the 1950s. Mrs. Surber converted the Furniture Store to Thomson Furniture Mrs. Janie Thomson in 1962. Tudor Revival style houses feature steeply pitched roofs with side gables. At least one gable is dominate with displays of half-timbering decorations to accent the tall, narrow windows in clustered groupings. Windows hold multiple panes glazing, sometimes with stained glass. Facades are typically combinations of stucco and stone wall cladding and usually comprised of multiple materials. Massive chimneys are commonly crowed with chimney pots. Heavy gables are expected, occasionally with scalped edging or with decorative designs. Patterned stonework or brickwork is expected in this style, sometimes complemented with slate or designed roofing. There are nine notable Tudor Revival and seven Tudor Revival influenced buildings constructed between 1922 and 1939. The earliest Tudor Revival residences are large scale and richly detailed, while those following are general interpretations of the style. Four examples displaying prominent levels of integrity are found at 619 West Oak, 812 West Oak, 1015 West Oak and 1008 Egan.
1108 Congress Street- Smith House
This home was built in 1922 by contractor Henry Francis (H.F.) Davidson. Davidson built several significant homes in Denton between 1900 and 1930, most notable the Martin-Russell Home at 911 West Oak Street. He also built the Women’s Club building at present Quakertown Park, the home at 1018 West Oak for Eva Long, and the home at 1015 Egan for Robert Storrie. Both the Martin-Russel house and this house incorporate Acme Brick from the local plant. Davidson also built the house across the street at 1109 Congress, the former home of the Tom Harpool family. Various members of the Smith family owned the home from its construction in 1922 until 1975.Neoclassical style houses feature a dominate, full height porch supported by classical columns completed with Corinthian capitals as in this house. The entrance is symmetrically with a center door and balanced windows. Eaves are boxed with a moderate overhang and cornices. Windows are rectangular with double hung sashes, with uppers displaying multi paned glass transom windows. Porch balustrades follow the upper and lower platform porches partially wrapping the house.There are ten noteworthy Neoclassical style homes in the district, constructed between 1895 and 1947. Examples of high integrity include 707 West Hickory built in 1895; 705 West Oak built in 1904; 715 West Hickory built in 1911; 614 West Hickory built in 1919 and 709 Congress built in 1924.
1109 Congress Street- George W. and Elaine Morrell House
George William (1891-1945) and Elaine Chilton Morrel (1890-1962) contracted with Henry Francis (H. F.) Davidson in 1924 to build this “One story and half, eight roomed, brick veneered house, English roof.” Elaine, a Denton native, married George in Austin in 1916. By 1920, they were living on West Hickory Street in Denton prior to moving to this house. They sold their home in April 1927, and moved to El Paso, Texas George resumed his commercial traveling in wholesales furniture and Elain sustained as a public-school teacher. Jack Blewett purchased the house from the Morrells. Jack worked for his father at the Denton Milling Company, which burned in July 1928. The following month, the Blewetts hired Richards Harpool to run the financially failing mill. Richards and his wife, Octa, also became owners of this house. This is a good example of a small Tudor cottage with a high-pitched cross-gable roof with a half-timbered motif and a prominent tapered chimney.
1120 Congress Street- Foy E. Jr. and Virgie Wallace House
Foy (1896-1979) and Virgie (1898-1987) Wallace secured the service of W. H. Overall to build their home in 1926. Foy was born in Montague, Texas and grew up in West Texas while Virgie was a native of Bell County, Texas. They were married in 1914 and lived in Fort Worth as he began his career as a preacher during WW I. Foy became known as a gospel preacher, debater, editor of the Gospel Advocate and song writer. He became the minister of Pearl Street Church of Christ in Denton as he built this home. By 1928, Wallace moved to Los Angeles, California as he continued his evangelist travel. The couple sold their house in July 1928 to Tom Ray and Etta Brooks, the founder of Denton's Brooks Dairy (later Borden’s Dairy). Future author Larry McMurty lived here as a student at the University of North Texas during the late 1950s, where he started notes for his future novels set in Texas.
1019 Egan Street- J. Homer and Werdna Kerley House
James Homer (1898-1981) and Werdna Kerley (1900-1981) were both Denton natives. James hired E. D. Porter to build this Craftsman style home as a wedding present. It sits on a corner lot with a wrapped porch, with tapered box columns on brick piers. Homer owned Home Ice Company, delivering blocks of ice to homes and businesses. He also sold real estate and livestock. The Kerleys sold their home to Fred and Corie (Cordelia) Freeman, who sold their bus line to the Dixie Trailways System in May 1928. They then established the Red Ball Bus Lines and acquired the Yellow Taxi Cab Company of Denton. In 1929, Freeman purchased the 950-acre Golden Hoof Ranch from J.R. Christal (722 West Oak) and continued to raise cattle and other livestock west of Denton.
1016 Egan Street- Tom W. and Maude Johnson House
This brick craftsman cottage is characterized by a small arched porch roof over the central door and side porch. Thomas Warren (1884-1969) and Maude (1886-1969) Johnson hired S. K. Withrow to build their Craftsman style home in 1923. The couple secured their house lot the same year as High School 2 was platted. While Maude’s parents were from the East Coast, she and Tom were Denton natives. Tom’s father was born in Ireland, married his mother from Missouri, and was a brick mason in Fort Worth. Tom worked for Acme Brick and purchased one of the first Buicks in Denton in 1905, prior to their wedding on October 27, 1906 in Denton. Prior to 1930, they sold their home to Mrs. W. T. Harris (nee Margaret Currie) the widow of a confederate veteran.
1003 Egan Street- B. P. and Eunice Adams House
This craftsman house on a corner lot features a wrapped porch. Ben (Benjamin) Percy (1873-1951) and Eunice Terry Adams (2/6/1882 – 4/21/1955) contracted with local builder Thomas Douglas (T. D.) Wynn on 10/10/1923 for $4,500 to build a “one, six (6) room, frame bungalow house, together with breakfast room and bath.” Ben was born in Georgia and his family relocated to Ellis County, Texas in the 1880s. Eunice was born in Milford, Ellis County, Texas, met Ben and on August 10, 1901 were married in Milford. The couple moved to Justin Texas with their two sons by 1910 where Ben began a real estate sales agency where they lived until moving to Denton when their new home was completed. By 1930, the couple relocated to a home at 520 Amarillo Street.
910 Egan Street- Lola and Charles Orlen Gray House
“Harve” (Charles O.) Gray (1903-2002) was a Denton native and Lola Lee Lynch (1903-1990) was born nearby in Stony, Denton County. Harve contracted with A. J. Dobson to build this house as a wedding present prior to his marriage to Lola in 1936. They lived in their home until 1949. The brick house has an unusual blocky composition with a prominent trio of wood-sided gables. The house is noncontributing due to an addition that extended the west bay forward.
813 Egan Street
Craftsman style home
809 Panhandle Street- J.B. & Anna Rose Burrow House
J. B. (1907-1994) and Anna Rose (1908-2009) Burrow contracted with B. A. Wilson to build this house in 1940. They married in 1931 in Marietta, Oklahoma, where they maintained the Burrow family farm. They moved to Denton when Mr. Burrow became part owner of the Salvage & Trade Store. In May 1941, Mr. Burrow became the sole owner of the furniture store (later Burrow Furniture) at 207 North Elm. They moved to 907 West Hickory Street in 1945, as they expanded Burrow Furniture to three locations. The couple helped the founding of Grace Temple Baptist Church in 1948, hosting the original congregation in their home until 1949 when the church opened its first building at 1106 Oak Street in Denton. This house stands as an excellent example of a minimal tradition design with a telescoping pair of front gabled projections.
913 Panhandle Street- Cora E. and A.S. Keith House
Albert Sidney (1873-1946) and Cora Ellen (1876-1954) Keith hired S. Clyde Carpenter to build their home in 1924. Albert was born in Argyle, earned degrees from the North Texas State Normal and Texas Christian University, and taught in public schools in Lingelville and Greenwood before serving as school superintendent in Tioga. He was principal at Pilot Point until 1913 when he advanced as superintendent. In 1917 he moved to Denton to become principal and mathematics teacher at the North Texas State Normal training school, the teacher preparation school at the college, from which he retired in 1941. The Keiths lived in this house until 1928. The porch has been infilled but with the tapered box columns on brick piers intact, along with the original porte cochere and geometric gable motif.
1001 Panhandle Street- C.E. and Berniece Jones House
Charlie E. (1892-1973) and Berniece (1898-1979) Jones hired J. A. Bevill to build their Craftsman style home. Charlie was born in Chico, Texas, was a WW I veteran, and returned to Denton to marry Berniece. He owned Jones Cleaners while maintaining his farm and ranch. The couple sold the house in 1940 to Mr. and Mrs. Curtis Savage, who moved from Lewisville to Denton to be closer to his work at the Denton Mill and Elevator Company and to his brother Ed Savage who worked at Denton County National Bank. This house is similar to other craftsman cottages in the district but lacks the common precise façade symmetry.
1107 Panhandle Street- J.W. and Ola Mae Wallace House
James W. Wallace (1884-1971) and Ola Mae Wallace (1892-1960) hired C. G. Wilson to build this Craftsman cottage home on the south side of the street in the High School 2 plat area. It is one of sever such cottages in the district with symmetrical primary facades, with a central doorway flanked by paired sash windows, and a small front stoop under a gabled or arched roof. By 1930, the couple moved to Sherman, Texas to be near his parents while retaining their farm four miles east of Little Elm. They returned to Denton often to visit friends and their daughter, Ruth Marie McLemore, who lived at 920 Panhandle.
