[638 S. Magnolia - Silliman House]

Description

Photograph of the front and south side of the Silliman House, a two-story, brick Georgian Revival-style house located at 638 S. Magnolia in Palestine, Texas. It has some stone accents including light-colored quoins on the corners.

Physical Description

1 photograph : b&w ; 8 x 10 in.

Creation Information

Goebel, Matt February 1993.

Context

This photograph is part of the collection entitled: Rescuing Texas History, 2006 and was provided by the Palestine Public Library to The Portal to Texas History, a digital repository hosted by the UNT Libraries. It has been viewed 84 times. More information about this photograph can be viewed below.

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Palestine Public Library

Located in Anderson County, the Palestine Public Library provides access to information and various programs for the community's benefit. They received a Rescuing Texas History grant to aid in digitization of select materials, including photos taken during a Historic Resources Study in 1991.

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Description

Photograph of the front and south side of the Silliman House, a two-story, brick Georgian Revival-style house located at 638 S. Magnolia in Palestine, Texas. It has some stone accents including light-colored quoins on the corners.

Physical Description

1 photograph : b&w ; 8 x 10 in.

Notes

Camera looking: Northeast
Photograph: 6 of 22

Notes

This 2-story dwelling is an excellent illustration of the Georgian Revival style, an early 20th century architectural form rarely found in Palestine. This house is further distinguished by its load-bearing walls, which are a contrast to the prevailing wood-frame construction used on most domestic buildings in Palestine.

Noted architect and New Jersey-native James Frith Brook (who was responsible for numerous Palestine buildings, including the Redlands Hotel), designed this house for Dr. J. Calvin Silliman in 1911. C.S. Maffitt was the contractor, but some also believe that he was the architect, instead of Mr. Brook.

The story goes that the foundation for the house was installed and had to stand for several months before construction on the dwelling could begin. The outside brick walls were constructed first and then the inside studs and walls were built. The carriage house, located in back, dates back to the first owners of the lot, a Dr. Swinney, whose home was moved to allow for the building of this home.

Silliman sold the house to his cousin, John H. Silliman in 1915, when he moved his family to California. A Mississippi native, J.H. Silliman was the proprietor of Silliman and Company – a Palestine business founded in 1871, and one of the largest hardware stores in the region. Silliman married Laura Brook, the architect’s daughter, in 1920 and they lived here until sometime in the 1940’s.

Mr. and Mrs. Walter Willis purchased the property from the Silliman’s and they lived there until 1973, when it was sold to the Bailey family.

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Rescuing Texas History, 2006

Rescuing Texas History is a project that aims to digitize at-risk photographs, maps, artwork, and more. Funding was provided by the Summerlee Foundation of Dallas.

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Creation Date

  • February 1993

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Added to The Portal to Texas History

  • Feb. 2, 2006, 9:54 a.m.

Description Last Updated

  • July 11, 2018, 10:34 a.m.

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Past 30 days: 1
Total Uses: 84
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  • 31.756175, -95.631674

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Goebel, Matt. [638 S. Magnolia - Silliman House], photograph, February 1993; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth9420/: accessed April 19, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Palestine Public Library.

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