C.R. Burrow House

Duane's take

Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about the C.R. Burrow House in Randall County. Charles Richard Burrow came to Canyon City in 1899 with, far as we know, not much more than a willingness to work.

He hired on at Eagle Hardware, and for twenty years he showed up, did the job, learned the business inside and out. Then, in 1919, he bought it. Renamed it Burrow Lumber Company, and just like that, the employee became the owner.

Now that right there is the kind of story Canyon, Texas remembers. And Canyon remembered Charles Burrow for a long time, because he wasn't the kind of man who built something and then sat back quiet. He served as mayor of Canyon.

He served as city commissioner. He rose to be President of the Lumbermen's Association of Texas. And somewhere in the middle of all that, he found time to be a philanthropist, helping students at West Texas Normal College, the school that would later become West Texas A&M University, find a way to finish their education when the money wasn't there to do it.

He stayed active in business and civic life all the way until his death in 1959. Now, back in 1903, Charles married Bula Wright. And by 1911, this couple was ready to put down roots in a serious way.

They commissioned architect O.G. Roquemore to design them a home. What Roquemore drew up was a two-story cross gabled Craftsman style bungalow.

Dormer windows. Brackets. Exposed rafter ends.

Brick porch columns. The kind of house that tells you, without a word, that the person who built it intended to stay. Charles Burrow came to Canyon City in 1899 to work for somebody else's hardware store.

He left behind a lumber company, a legacy of civic service, students who got to finish their schooling because of his generosity, and a house that's still standing. Not bad for a man who started out stocking shelves.

What the marker says

Charles Richard Burrow moved to Canyon City in 1899 to work for Eagle Hardware, and by 1919 he was able to buy the business and rename it Burrow Lumber Company. Burrow remained an active business and civic leader until his death in 1959. He served as mayor of Canyon, city commissioner and President of the Lumbermen's Association of Texas. His philanthropic endeavors allowed many students at West Texas Normal College (later West Texas A&M University) to complete their education. Burrow married Bula Wright in 1903, and in 1911 architect O.G. Roquemore designed for them this two-story cross gabled Craftsman style bungalow featuring dormer windows, brackets, exposed rafter ends and brick porch columns. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 2009