Description: This picture was taken while standing at the intersection of Dallas and S. Sycamore streets, looking northeast at the houses on S. Sycamore street. The houses are (from left to right) 408 S. Sycamore, 412 S. Sycamore, 416 S. Sycamore and the last house on the right is no longer there. I do not know what the address of that house was.

Description: This house, more commonly known nowadays as the Bowers Mansion, is one of the most outstanding domestic buildings in Palestine. The oldest parts of the house date back to 1878 and display Victorian Italianate elements. The small cupola with its bracketed eaves and narrow, paired windows is indicative of the style. In 1894 major modifications were completed, giving the house a more Queen Anne style architectural character. The 2-tiered porch with its turned- and jigsawn- wood trim are noteworthy features. Since the 1894 renovations, the house has remained virtually unaltered and retains its integrity to a remarkable degree. Palestine merchant and Prussian-native Henry Ash and his wife Amelia Emilie Ash built this house in 1878 and resided here until 1884, when the property was purchased by Andrew L. and Nellie O’Connell Bowers. Around 1886 the Bowers hired local architect-builder Walter W. Wainwright to add the cupola, gazebo, and circular galleries; later, in 1897, St. Louis architect Charles Dunbar designed more renovations, including the addition of an ornate staircase with stained glass. A North Carolina native, Andrew L. Bowers (1852-1926) was an official of the I&GN Railroad, president of the Palestine Salt & Coal Company, and president of several banks, including ...

Description: The residential neighborhood south of the city’s historic downtown contains many late 19th and early 20th century houses; however, a substantial number of 1920s dwellings were built as infill. Most of the residences of this later period are relatively small frame bungalows. This house deviates from the pattern because of its scale, materials, and design. The 2-story house with brick veneer is also one of the city’s few examples of the Spanish colonial Revival style. Few alterations detract from its historic character, and the building retains much of its integrity. German immigrant Solomon Maier and his Texas-born wife Lucy had this house built in the mid-1920s. Mr. Maier came to Palestine in 1882; his various endeavors included operating a wholesale tobacco company, a saloon, and working at a bank. He was vice-president, and later the second president of the Palestine Salt & Coal Company, which mined half a million tons of salt and 25,000 tons of lignite west of Palestine during the first half of this century. After her husband’s death, Mrs. Maier continued to live in the house through the 1940s. Mr. and Mrs. Lamar Hamilton were later owners of the house. Mr. Hamilton was a son of the ...

Description: This opulent Queen Anne-style house is one of Palestine’s premier historic dwellings. Distinctive features include the asymmetrical massing, a richness in details and materials and superb craftsmanship. The house is a textbook example of the Queen Anne style. A large addition has been built onto the rear, but the owners have been careful to reproduce the kinds of detailing and materials seen on the historic portion of the house. Cotton broker Samuel Lucas, a New Orleans native, and his wife, Esther Goldberg Lucas, purchased this lot in December 1892, and began building this house soon afterwards. Architect John S. Moad designed the dwelling; Moad was responsible for a number of notable Texas buildings, including Palestine’s First Christian Church and the now-demolished Railroad Y.M.C.A. Galveston-native Martin A. Davey purchased the property in September 1927. Davey’s knowledge of the geology of Anderson County led him to the discovery of several oil fields in the region, including the lucrative Boggy Creek field; he is generally regarded as the “father of the East Texas oil business.” In 1936 Palestine voted Davey its “number-one citizen.” Davey donated approximately 300 acres to Anderson County in the late 1930s, which later became Davey Dogwood Park. Mr. and ...

Description: In plan and form, this 2 ½ story frame dwelling is typical of the many large Queen Anne-style houses found in the neighborhood south of downtown. A deed states that the land was transferred on February 6, 1890, from J.T. Pells and S.R. Pells to Oscar B. Sawyers, secretary of the Palestine Loan Association. Sawyers built his home on the lot a short time later and he and his wife Carrie Jones Sawyer lived there until December 19, 1893. The story goes, a local man named Mart Lacy notified Judge Gardner and Dr. Jameson, a local doctor, requesting that they come to the Sawyers’ residence. When they arrived, they found Sawyers dead and his wife wounded. It is speculated that this was a suicide pact that failed, possibly due to financial trouble that Sawyers was apparently experiencing. The Palestine Loan Association turned its claims over to Gregg and Gardner to collect and bring suit. Mrs. Sawyers waived all right to the administration of Sawyers estate on January 24, 1894. The home was appraised at $6,000 and was bought by Percy V. Pennybacker and his wife Anna for $5,000. Pennybacker served as superintendent of the Palestine schools until his death in ...