Local tradition has long held that Corpus Christi Bay was discovered and named by Alonzo Alvarez de Pineda in 1519 on the Catholic Feast Day of Corpus Christi. Recorded history, however, indicates that it was originally named by the first settlers who migrated here from the Lower Rio Grande Valley in 1860s.

The first semblance of a town began in 1839 when Col. Henry Lawrence Kinney established a trading post to sell supplies to a Mexican revolutionary army camped about 25 miles west.

The year 1926 saw the opening of the port of Corpus Christi culminating efforts that began as early as 1848 to obtain a deep-water port. The Corpus Christi Naval Air Station was commissioned in 1941. Below you will find some of Corpus Christi's colorful past as you walk through downtown Corpus Christi's rich cultural and historical background.

Map Showing Locations with Historical significance in the Downtown Area

The Corpus Christi Caller Times has a searchable database of information concerning Corpus Christi's history. Columnist Murphy Givens, has written extensively on downtown's early years. His articles on Chaparral and Mesquite Streets give readers a peek back in time.

First sheriff was a builder, brickmaker Part I of II

Henry W. Berry was indicted for treason Part II of I

Another Murphy Given's article on Corpus Christi's Old Courthouse is: Old Courthouse Stories.

Work in Progress

Thanks to the Nueces County Landmark Commission for allowing us to use some of their research material below. For more information pertaining to the history of Nueces County go to www.cclandmarks.org


DOWNTOWN LANDMARKS & HISTORICAL SITES

Old Nueces County Courthouse (1914)
1101 Mesquite Street

The first Nueces County courthouse was built on this same block in 1856. A larger structure, known as the Hollub Courthouse, was constructed in 1876 next to the first structure. The 1914 Neo-Classical courhouse served county residents until it was vacated in 1977. The six-story courthouse has 72,065 square feet and was built using heavy construction techniques. Poured-in-place reinforced concrete, masonry walls, steel lintels and supports, mosaic tiles, marble chair railings and plaster details all reflect its classical heritage. Its style and details are reflective of the finest Ionic order building in the State of Texas. Partial restoration of the 1914 Nueces County Courthouse is in progress.

Seaman's Center
Convenient to the seamen aboard the ships that enter the Port of Corpus Christi from all over the world, the Seamaan's Center serves as a welcome refuge for the thousands of crew members whose vessels come through the port. A haven for seamen, 365 days a year, the Center provides meals and recreation for these men who have families just like us. Because they are from Third World countries, going to sea is one of the only ways to make a decent living for those families.



Heritage Park

Simon Gugenheim House
1601 N. Chaprral Street

This Victoria structure was built for Simon and Lila Bell (Solomon) Gugenheim in 1905. In 1941, Mr. Gugenheim, a leading businessman in Corpus Christi, donated four lots on So. Broadway to the YMCA to construct a new facility. He died in 1942 and Lila Bell passed four years later. Both are buried at the Hebrew Rest Cemetery in Corpus Christi. The structure was moved to this block in 1927 and relocated to its current site in the City of Corpus Christi's Heritage Park in 1977. Camp Fire, Inc. restored the house to serve as offices in 1980. This is the only square turreted structure remaining in Corpus Christi. The tri-faceted porch, spanning gabled wings, and gingerbread details are typical of the late Victorian Period. The front rooms are furnished in the style of the 1900's.


Ward-McCampbell House
1501 N. Chaprarral Street

Mary Alice Ward McCampbell, widow of Nueces County Attorney William Berry McCampbell, built this house around 1908 on Water Street, a few feet from Corpus Christi Bay. The seawall, which now protects downtown Corpus Christi from flood tides, was not completed until 1941. In 1919, a hurricane came in suddenly and the storm tides isolated residents of Old Irishtown from the Bluff's high ground. Mary Ward McCampbell and her three sons watched the storm from this house. As the tides rose, they fled to the second floor and watched the flood waters rise over 30 feet to the second story porch. They later recalled seeing entire houses, dead animals, and debris flow past the porch. Early in 1920, Mary McCampbell died of pneumonia which her family claims she contracted while standing watch on the porch during the storm. Her eldest son, William Ward, sold the house to his cousin in 1921. The Ionic capitals, lattice enclosures and wrap-a-round porches are typical of the Classic Revival architecture. The house was donated to the City in 1983 and moved from its original site one block away. It has been restored by the Irish Cultural House, Inc. for offices and meeting rooms. Irish Cultural House, Inc., a non-profit organization, provides information and educational programs on the influence of the Irish culture and language in the Corpus Christi area.


Grande-Grossman House
1517 N. Chaparral Street

Benito (Ben) Grande was born in 1862 and came to Corpus Christi with his family in the late 1870s. The Grande men were entrepreneurs who owned the Ben Grande Saloon, one of the largest and last old-fashioned cantinas in Texas. Ben succeeded his father in operating the family businesses, became a leader in the community, and built this house on Artesian Street in 1904. The Grossman Family began emigrating from Russia in the early 1900s. Ed, Henry, Simon and their sister, Ida Grossman, opened a department store next door to the house on Artesian Street. Simon returned to Europe in 1921 and brought other family members to Corpus Christi. Ida Groosman Cohen bought this house in 1925. The Grossman Family donated the home to the City in 1982 and moved it to its current site. The League of United Latin American Citizen (LULAC), Council One, restored the home in 1985. Bayfest, Inc. currently operates this home. Revisions to the house changed the style from Victorian to Craftman with elements of Prairie architecture. Dominant features include the stick style eave brackets and brich piers.


Galvan House
1581 N. Chaparral Street

This house was built in 1908 by A.M. French. It was designed by his wife, Frances Garrett French, who wanted a home to accomodate both family and friends. French was an attorney, the founder of the First State Bank, and a surveyor for the construction of the Tex-Mex Railroad. He also founded and directed the first abstract title company in Corpus Christi. In 1942, Rafael Galvan purchased the house and it remained in his family until 1982. Galvan came to Corpus Christi in 1896, worked as a fisherman and then became Corpus Christi's first Mexican-American police officer. He also established the Galvan Ballroom and was a founding member of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC). The Colonial Revival archtecture is formal in appearance due to the classic Ionic columns on two levels. Beveled glass in the front doors and sidelights has 1½ inch bevels, much larger than usual. In 1982, the City purchased the house to serve as headquarters for the Multicultural Center and moved it to the present site in Heritage Park. The grounds surrounding the Multicultural Center include a replica of a carriage house, courtyard and gazebo and the Mary Elizabeth & Lee Lytton Memorial Rose Garden.

S. Julius Lichtenstein House
1617 N. Chaparral Street

The Lichtenstein family moved to Corpus Christi in 1873. This Jewish family became prominent leaders in the business and civic communities of South Texas. The Lichtenstein Department Store was a major retail center for South Texas for over 100 years. In 1905, Julius Lichtenstein, son of the store's founder, built this house about nine blocks south of its present site. Julius and his wife, Carrie Weil Lichtenstein, lived in the home until 1913 and retained ownership until 1926. This Colonial Revival house is simple in detail and scale. The turret with clerestory windows is typical of Victorian Period architecture. In 1927, the house was moved to its current site within the Heritage Park Complex. In 1977, the Junior League of Corpus Christi restored the house for use as the Creative Arts Center. The Creative Arts Center, Inc., a non-prfit education organization, provided programs and classes in the visual and performing arts for people of all ages.


Sidbury House
1609 N. Chaparral Street

Charlotte Cook Scott Sidbury, a rancher, bank director, lumber company manager and civic leader, built this house in 1893. It was one of twin houses built as rental properties and was never occupied by Mrs. Sidbury. The Patrick Dunn family lived in the house for several years after one of the Dunn children died of a fever at their Padre Island ranch home. This house is the only remaining example of High Victorian architecture in Corpus Christi. The asymmetrical Victorian structure has all the elements of the Queen Anne style including irregular outlines, verandas, balconies, and steep-pitched roofs. The "gingerbread" appearance is due to delicate and elaborate woodwork on the porches. The Moorish arch over the front steps and fanshaped eave brackets are the most distinctive features of the house. In 1927, the house was moved to its current site in Heritage Park. The Junior League of Corpus Christi restored it in 1977. The Junior League is an educational and charitable organization designed to promote community involvement and develop the potential of its members through effective volunteer programs.


Merriman-Bobys House
1521 M. Chaparral Street

The Merriman-Bobys House is the second oldest structure existing in Corpus Christi. (The oldest is the Centennial House located at 411 Upper Broadway.) The structure was built in 1851 by Walter Merriman, a lawyer and land developer. The house was used as a hospital during the Civil War and the yellow fever epidemic of 1867. Nearly one-third of the population, including Corpus Christi's only three doctors, died in the epidemic. The house had many owners over the years, including prominent ranchers who used it as a town home. Mr. & Mrs. Ernest Bobys purchased the house in 1936 and the local chapter of the Texas Poetry Society held meetings here. Morris Lichtenstein bought the house and later donated it to the City in 1981. It was moved from its original location on the Bluff in 1982 and restored by the Corpus Christi Arts Council. This is probably the most unique structure in Heritage Park, yet the most typical of early Corpus Christi architecture. The open porch and shellcrete fireplace are good examples of early Texas regional architecture. The three distinctive gables are the result of additions to the original structure which was built with native wood and square nails. The front entry includes a raised panel door bordered by sidelights and a full transom. The house has operated as restaurants the past few years.


Littles-Martin House
1519 N. Chaparral Street

Hattie Moore Littles is believed to have been one of the first black natives of Corpus Christi. In 1915, she and her husband, Willis, employed by John G. Kenedy, a rancher, were baptized the first black Catholics of Corpus Christi. John G. and Marie Stella Kenedy were their godparents. Hattie and Willis were employed by many prominent families in Corpus Christi. When the Littles retired, the Kenedys gave them this house. Its original site is unknown, but it was moved to North Staples Street around 1918. The Littles' daugher, Mary Belle Littles-Martin, taught piano in the home for many years and lived there until her death in 1983. At that time, the house had been in her family for over 60 years. The house was moved to its current site in Heritage Park in 1986 and restored by the National Association of Colored People (NAACP) to serve as its Corpus Christi headquarters. The front rooms contain period funishings and exhibits on Black History. The firplace mantle is carved from Tigerwood, commonly known as "Nigerian Walnut," which is native to West Africa. The front door is hand-carved pine. The beveled wood siding, hip roof with projecting gable and chamfered bay suggest Queen Anne Victorian Cottage architecture. Decorative features include shingles on the facade between the windows and roofline and a small window in the gable. The primary objectives of the NAACP are to ensure that all civil rights provisions are upheld for all people, regardless of race, gender, age or creed, and to provide legal services when a civil right has been violated. The local chapter is also involved in educational, medical and employment awareness programs for community residents.


Jalufka-Govatos House
1513 N. Chaparral Street

The Jalufka-Govatos House was built by James Jalufka about 1905 at 1408 N. Mesquite Street in what is known as "Old Irishtown." His father was originally from Moravia in Austria (present day Czech Republic) and immigrated to the United States at an early age. James and his wife, Helen J. "Captain," maintained an outstanding rose garden at the original site of the house. He was a veteran of the Spanish-American War, and World War I, and was prominent in the South Texas cotton industry. She was an entrepreneur and acquired the name "Captain" when she successfully operated a boat works at the old Pleasure Pier in downtown Corpus Christi. Pete and Minnie Lee Govatos, members of a family active in the City's Greek Community since the 1920s, purchased the home from the Jalufkas in 1944. Residents of Corpus Christi since 1940, they lived in the house until Minnie Lee's death in 1960. The Govatos Family operated three restaurants in Corpus Christi and were active in the establishment of the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church. The house changed ownership several times until it was acquired by the City in 1987 and moved to Heritage Park. Unusual paried columns defining the front porch and a bay window are typical of Southern Bungalow architecture. The house is accented with gently pitched broad gables suported by knee braces. The foundation is a good example of rusticated block. The house was restored by the Czech Heritage Society of South Texas for offices and meeting rooms. The Czech Heritage Society of South Texas is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserve, mainatain and promote the customs, language, heritage and social relationship of American people of Czech descent. Membership is open to all people interested in the preservation of Czech heritage and culture.



Old Bayview Cemetery
Waco & W. Broadway Streets This cemetery was formally laid out by General Zachary Taylor's engineers between 1845-1846. On September 12, 1845, ten men were killed and fourteen wounded when the steamer Dayton exploded near Ingleside. Lacking a proper burial ground for the men of the Dayton, General Taylor commissioned his engineers to survey the site for cemetery purposes. Many area pioneer families and veterans of the wars are buried here. The cemetery is landscaped with oleander shrubs, mesquite trees and date palms. Monuments are primarily upright in marble, pink and gray granite, metal and some concrete curbing. Ethnic distribution of those buried includes Black, White, Hispanic and Irish.


Corpus Christi Caller Times Building First published in 1883 and established by Eli Merriman, Ed Williams and W. P. Caruthers, the Caller-Times counted Captain Richard King among its original stockholders. The paper was purchased by the Harte-Hanks group in 1929 and operations were consolidated at its third site. In 1935, the paper moved to its present locations.


Lexington Museum
Nicknamed "The Blue Ghost," the floating naval museum is a hands-on history lesson that captures what navy life was like on the high seas. The ship is 910 feet long and weighs 33,000 tons. She arrived in Corpus Christi on January 23, 1992. The USS Lexington was commissioned February 14, 1943. She saw action from Tarawoto, Tokyo. She spent 21 months in combat and survived a torpedo hit and a kamikaze attack. After her decommissioning in 1991, she arrived in Corpus Christi. New aboard the ship is the MEGA Theater.


Guaranty Title Company Building (1926) The division of large area ranches in the early 1900's resulted in the need for clear titles to land. In 1904, Henry Baldwin expanded into the field of title insurance and changed the company's name to Guaranty Title. In 1926, the company built this two-story office building. This building is presently owned and occupied by Leon Loeb and the law firm of Coover & Coover.





Artesian Park
Chaparral & Twigg Streets

This is one of the oldest parks in the State to be deeded and dedicated as a public park. Encamped on this site between 1845 and 1846, General Zachary Taylor's 4,000 soldiers of the U. S. 3rd Infantry dug an artesian sulphur well and camped for eight months. Among his troops were three future U. S. Prfesidents: Taylor, Pierce and Grant. The well and campsite were later donated to the city by the town site's founder, Captain Henry L. Kinney. In the early 1900s, a bandstand, drinking fountain, and walkways were added to the site. The Daughters of the Republic dedicated the artesian fountain to Taylor's men.


General Zachary Taylor's Monument
This memorial tells the story of the bombardment of Corpus Christi by Union ships in August 1862, and the looting of the city by Federal troops who occupied Mustang Island during the fall and winter of 1863. The site of the Confederate shore battery was approximately a block west of the marker, near Water and Belden Streets at what was the bayfront.










Early Lighthouse Site
In 1851 and 1852, the U.S. Government built a lighthouse on the bluff at Corpus Christi. The lighthouse served as a guide to early-day vessels and also as an arsenal during the Civil War. The lighthouse was destroyed about the year 1878.


Dallas Hotel Built in 1914, this building was the first vaudeville theater in Corpus Christi. It was later converted into a grocery store with hotel rooms above. As evidenced by the sign on the side of the building, the rooms were once $3.00 a day. That was later covered to indicate $8.00 a day.

Ritz Theatre Building The Ritz Theatre opened its doors on Christmas Day the year the Great Depression began, first entertaining as a movie house then as a music hall. The Ritz was built at a cost of $450,000 in 1929. Using the art deco style of the day, the theater's architecture, as well as the film "It's a Great Life" attracted many people to its opening. Many local residents remember the Ritz as a first-run theater and a place of live entertainment during World War II, when big-name bands and performer's entertained military personnel as well as the townsfolk. Big screen requirement caused many of the original embellishments to be stripped from inside the theater. The last regular scheduling of films was in August 1972. The theater later was occupied by Performing Players and the Encore Theater, Corp., with music groups renting the hall from time to time. The interior was designed much like a Spanish courtyard with an illuminasted sky. Prices in its early days were 30 cents for adults. Food and drinks were not allowed in the theater. The theater has a seating capacity of 1,050. The dream of many local groups is to restore the theater into a modern performing arts facility that will fill the need of a diverse number of arts troups, individuals, and industries in the Corpus Christi area.

Kress Building

Harwood Exploration Building This building was the original support space for the vaudeville theater held in the adjacent building. It also served as the rear lobby of the Ritz Theater. The facade of this builing mimics the facade of the Rita Theater which fronts Chaparral Street.

Federal Courthouse Building The Federal Courthouse Building was constructed between 1916 and 1917 for use as a post office. So many people from the thriving little community came personally to collect their mail, that it was practically a social event to go to the post office. It also housed the weather bureau and other federal offices. The post office moved to a new building completed in 1939 located at Antelope and North Broadway. The building was remodeled and later housed courts of the Federal government.

The Tunnel
Upper & Lower Broadway Streets

The 490' tunnel built by Daughtery, Nichols and Yound for $22,773.00, was completed in 1929. It was a well lighted passageway containing busy shops.It was later closed due to vandalism. It connected Corpus Christi City Hall (presetnly La Retama Park) with the White Plaza Hotel (presently the 600 Building), and ran under Leopard Street to the Nixon Building (presently the Wilson Building).

Queen of the Sea (bas-relief stone sculpture)
Confederate Memorial Fountain
Lower Broadway @ Peoples St. & Schatzell St.
Artist: Pompeo Coppini
Queen of the Sea, a bas-relief sculpture, was erected in 1915 as a memorial to the soldiers of the Confederacy. It was designed by Pompeo Coppini, an internationally know sculptor, and was commissioned by the Corpus Christi Chapter of the Daughters of the Confederacy to sculpt a memorial to "the noble Texas who gave their lives for the South" during the Civil War. Corpus Christi as Queen of the Sea, is depicted being crowned by Father Neptune and Mother Earth.


The Broadway Bluff Improvements
The Broadway Bluff improvments turned a forty-foot muddy hillside into a pleasing site and connected the hillside known as the "Bluff" between uptown and downtown. The plans, drawn by Alexander Potter of New York City in 1913, lined the Bluff with six staircases, a three foot high ornamental balustrade, a retaining wall, and landscaping. The architectural firm of Adames & Adams designed the tunnel component of the Bluff Improvements. The tunnel served as a passasgeway between uptown and downtown, specifically from old City Hall to the Robert Driscoll Hotel and the Wilson Buidling. Elevators in the three buildings ran to the tunnel level. At one time, several shops operated in the tunnel on a daily basis. $300,000 in bond monies were voted in 1986 to restore the entire bluff improvement. $600,000 of reinvestment zone taxes were allocated for the lighting, irrigation and landscaping. Broadway Bluff Improvement is on the National Register of Historic Places.



World War Memorial / Spohn Park In 1930, the Gold Star Court was added as a World War I Memorial along the Bluff area. In 1989, this property was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.








Gold Star Court of Honor
This site encompasses the area of the Balustrade from the Williams Street staircase to the Blucher Street Staircase which was named the Gold Str Tree Court of Honor as a crepe myrtle tree was planted beside each individual marker. The flag poles were dedicated to the City in 1931. Gold Star Court of Honor is dedicated to the memory of those ewho gave their lives in World War I and in memory of the brave boys of Nueces County, Texas who died for Old Glory.

Corpus Christi Catholic Cathedral
620 Lipan Street

This Church was built in 1940 and renovated in 1980. The architects and builders were C. L. Monnot, Welsh Burney and Jim Rome. This structure replaced St. Patrick Cathedral that was heavily damaged by fire in 1938. Built during 1853 in the 800 block of Tancahua, St. Patrick's Cathedral was the City's first adobe Catholic Church. The Church was named for a patron saint of Ireland because of the large Irish Catholic population of Corpus Christi. The Corpus Christi Cathedral is a three story buff brick structure with three east facing symmetrically arranged bays. It has Romanesque style arches at the parapet and two arched bell towers that rise from the foundation and have mosaic tile domes surmounted by crosses. The decorative oval windows are designed to emulate windows at San Jose Mission in San Antonio. The interior is highly ornate with green marble, wroght iron, a frescoed dome over the alter, gold leaf on walls, carved wood pews and pulpit, heavy wood exposed timbers in the ceiling and wrought iron and bronze light fixtures.


Britton-Evans 'Centennial House'
411 N. Broadway Street This house was built by Captain Forbes Britton between 1849 and 1850. Captain Britton and his wife came to Corpus Christi after the Mexican War. One year later, Morris Levey of New Orleans became the owner of the property. During the Civil War in 1962, the house became a Confederate hospital. It was also used as a hospital and officer's mess hall for the Federal Army in 1866, and as a citizen's refuge during desperado and Indian raids during the 1870s. In 1880, George Evans purchased the home and lived there until Southern Mineral Corporation purchased it in 1936. The structure is known as the oldest structure existing in Corpus Christi. The Centennial House is the finest example of masonary classic revival architecture in existence on the Gulf Coast of Texas. It is completely furnished with authentic antiques of the period - First Empire through 1859. Currently, it operates as a museum under the guidance of the Corpus Christi Area Heritage Society.


Kinney's Trading Post
Henry L. Kinney came to this area about 1838. He established a fort-like trading post across from what is now N. Broadway Street. This trading post, enclosed by a stockade, contained his home, store, and quarters for armed men. Kinney did most of his trading with Indians and he also did some smuggling for Mexican Federalists.

Furman Plaza (1926) Major William Blair Chapman upon graduation from West Point in 1845, came with General Zachary Taylor to Texas to fight the Mexican War. In 1858, he purchased this land at Mesquite and Peoples Streets. In 1913, Chapman built a one-story masonry structure at the site. It was the first gasoline station in the area and had a one-person hand pump. When the Port of Corpus Christi opened in 1926, Jessie Chapman Furman, daughter of William Blair Chapman, employed a San Antonio architect/contractor to add two more floors to the existing single-story building. Mrs. Jessie Furman was the mother of Dr. McIver Furman, a well-respected physician, eagle scout, and mayor of Corpus Christi. The Furman Building has been used for may things in its past including a trading post, a civil defense shelter during the war, and also the site of one of the first pharmacies in the downtown area. In 1984, the Furman Building was purchased by 3rd Coast Investments, Inc. in order to develop the property into the Furman Plaza, a downtown business and retail center. The architect for the project was John Wright. Realizing the historical importance of the property, most of the original architecture and design was retained.


McDonald Building (1914) Built in 1914 by State Senator McDonald, the McDonald Building was used for mixed professional offices and retail shops. It later became a restaurant and even later became known as People's Alley. People's Alley was the first revitalization project of downtown. A promoter had dreams of developing this block by saving this old building and filling it with arts and crafts shops and eaterys. He also promoted the concept of shade trees along the street. Today, the building has been renovated by the architects who own and work in the building. The Corpus Christi Downtown Management District is also located here.



Lovenskiold Building
601 N. Mesquite

This structure is the oldest standing commercial building in Corpus Christi. It was built in 1891 and served as a post office, library, telegraph office and drug store. The original cast iron and brick finish of the structure is currently contained behind the plaster facade of the building. This structure is the only known cast iron building in Corpus Chrsiti. The roof is flat and "Binghams Drug Store" is painted on the rear brick.


First Presbyterian Church

For the third time in its history, this church opened its doors in 1930. Mrs. Henrietta King donated the land. This time, the church's Gothic architecture and accented walls of stained glass windows, over looked the Corpus Christi Bay. The original congragation of Presbyterians organized in 1867.


Church of the Good Shepherd
The earliest recorded visit of an Episcopal priest to Corpus Christi was that of the Rev. Lucius Jones in 1857. Three years later, a congregation was formally organized on the second floor of the Nueces County Courthouse. During the late 1970's, The Church of the Good Shepherd constructed its first permanent building at the corner of Taylor and Chaparral Streets. In 1026, the congregation moved to its current location at Park and Lower Broadway.



St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church
502 S. Chaparral Street

This church was built in 1950 and the cornerstone was laid by Vasilios K. Hriskoppoulos. The 1½ story brick structure is of Romanesque Revival design. There are three west facing bays, a slab foundation with a basement, and a bell tower with two arched openings. The building is set on a hill with a sloping foundation.

Richard King Home
611 S. Upper Broadway Street

The home was built in 1926 for Richard King III, a descendant of Richard King, founder of the King Ranch. Located in a historically prestigious neighborhood that was developed during the early 20th Century. This property provides a manificent view of Corpus Christi Bay. The original architect was John M. Marriott with subsequent renovations completed by architec John Dykema in 1991. The structure, a 2-story mediterranean influenced brick residence, has been converted to law offices. Lichtenstein Home (1913)

Watson / Giles / Farenthold Home
Dr. H. R. Giles practiced medicine here for half a century until he died in 1948. He was mayor from 1935 to 1937. His son, Elbert Jackson Giles, once recalled making house calls with his father when he was a boy. He would hold the flashlight during births and would sometimes run home to get forceps. The Giles home, with its rounded front entrance, is a landmark at 625 S. Broadway. The house later became known as the Farenthold home. It has been restored on the original site.


Carrie Lichtenstein Home
Next door to the Watson / Giles / Farenthold Home is the Lichtenstein Home at 615 N. Broadway. The Carrie Lichtenstein home was built in 1893 by her husband S.J. Lichtenstein. It has been restored and serves as an office for Durrill Properties.