John B. and Ketura Douglas House

Duane's take

Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about the John B. and Ketura Douglas House in Smith County. Now settle in, because this one's got layers. Literally.

Built about 1873, this house started its life as a high Victorian wood frame edifice, probably raised as a two-story building with a three-story tower. Three stories of tower on a residential home. That is not a house that whispers.

That is a house that makes a statement, and the Douglas family had plenty of statements left to make. John B. Douglas, born in 1843 and gone by 1893, was a Civil War veteran, a merchant, and a city official.

His wife, Ketura, called Kettie, Walker Douglas, born in 1845, was a local church and civic leader of considerable standing. Together they planted themselves in what was then an upper-middle class residential neighborhood just outside the original town plat of Tyler. A neighborhood on the rise, for a family on the rise.

Now here's the thing about the Douglases. They didn't just build a house and call it done. They kept building.

As their fortunes rose, the house grew right along with them, and you can track the whole arc of their prosperity in the additions. First came a one-story wing to the south of the tower. That feature was in place by 1884.

Then, by 1898, the footprint of the house was enlarged again, primarily with a one-story wing at the rear. A second story was added to that rear wing in the early twentieth century. And somewhere between 1902 and 1907, in what might be the most specific piece of architectural decision-making you'll hear about today, the one-story gable roof kitchen, with its cutaway bay window and hipped roof, was rotated ninety degrees.

It had originally faced south. Someone decided it ought to face east. So east it faced.

Other major changes were complete by 1912. Now stop for a moment and consider what you're looking at on the outside of this place. Clapboard siding.

Shingles in two patterns, not one, two. Flat board window molding. Belt courses.

End boards. Carved and pierced plates and brackets. Every surface doing something, every detail earning its keep.

That is high Victorian design, and the Douglas house doesn't just dabble in it. It commits. In fact, this house is the only identified extant example of high Victorian residential design in Tyler that combines Italianate and Second Empire style details.

The only one. Everything else is gone or never was. This one survived.

Kettie Douglas lived there until her death in 1912, and upon her passing, the house moved to the Douglases' son. It was sold in 1927 to its longtime occupants, and it stands yet today. A Civil War veteran, a merchant, a civic leader, a church pillar, a kitchen rotated ninety degrees to face the morning sun.

All of it still standin' in Tyler, a vivid reminder, as the marker says, of late nineteenth century Tyler and its leading citizens. Some houses hold their stories quietly. This one built a tower.

What the marker says

Built about 1873, this was the home of John B. Douglas (1843-1893), a Civil War veteran, merchant and city official, and his wife Ketura (Kettie) Walker Douglas (1845-1912), a local church and civic leader. The area around this site was an upper-middle class residential neighborhood just outside the original town plat. The high Victorian wood frame edifice was probably erected as a 2-story building with a 3-story tower. The family modified the house in stages as their fortunes rose. The first addition was a one-story wing to the south of the tower, a feature in place by 1884. The footprint of the house was enlarged, primarily with a one-story wing at the rear of the house, by 1898. A second story was added to the rear wing in the early 20th century. Between 1902 and 1907, the one-story gable roof kitchen with cutaway bay window and hipped roof, originally oriented to the south, was rotated 90 degrees to face east. Other major changes were complete by 1912. The structure's highly textured exterior features, such as clapboard siding, shingles in two patterns, flat board window molding, belt courses and end boards and carved and pierced plates and brackets are characteristic of high Victorian design. The John B. and Ketura Douglas house is the only identified extant example of high Victorian residential design in Tyler to combine Italianate and Second Empire style details. The house passed to the Douglases' son upon Kettie's death, and was sold in 1927 to its longtime occupants. It remains a vivid reminder of late 19th century Tyler and its leading citizens. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1998