Davis House

Duane's take

Now, I'm telling you what the official marker says about the Davis House, so settle in and let me give you the story straight. There's a man named William O. Davis, and right away you ought to know a few things about him.

He was a veteran of the Civil War. He came to Texas in 1870. And he was self-educated.

No fancy schooling, no handed-down credentials, just a man who made himself what he became. And what he became was a prominent local attorney. That alone is a story worth telling, but William O.

Davis was not a man who stopped at one chapter. From 1876 to 1882, he represented this area in the Texas Senate. Six years carrying the weight of this community's voice in Austin.

And after that, he came home and served as Gainesville's first Mayor. First. That word does a lot of heavy lifting.

There was no template, no predecessor to call on. Just Davis, figuring out what the job was supposed to look like. Now, in 1891, the Senator built himself a house.

A Queen Anne style residence, and it was not a modest thing. Ornate gingerbread trim. Decorative brickwork.

Every flourish on that house was a statement, and the statement was plain: this is a man who had earned his place in this community, and he wanted you to know it when you rode past. That residence still stands today, and the marker there was placed by Lieutenant Colonel and Mrs. R.

D. Buttolph, owners of the property since 1974. William O.

Davis died in 1941, but he left behind a building that speaks for him still. In Cooke County, that house has been doing his talking for over a hundred years.

What the marker says

William O. Davis (d. 1941), a veteran of the Civil War, came to Texas in 1870. Self-educated, he became a prominent local attorney and from 1876 to 1882 represented the area in the Texas Senate. An active civic leader, he later served as Gainesville's first Mayor. In 1891 he built this Queen Anne style residence. Its ornate gingerbread trim and decorative brickwork reflected Sen. Davis' status as a prominent early leader of the community. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1982. Incise in base: Marker placed by Lt. Col. and Mrs. R. D. Buttolph, owners since 1974.