Mayes House

Duane's take

The way the marker tells it, here's the story of the Mayes House. Architect Donald Mayes was born in 1914, and by the time his story was done in 1966, he had left his mark on Denison in ways you can still see if you know where to look. In 1940, he married Rose Marie Riddle, and the two of them made their home together right here, in a house Donald designed himself.

Rose Marie lived on until 2008, so this house carried a long life inside its walls. Now, some architects design for clients and keep their own dwelling modest. Donald Mayes was not that kind of man.

He built himself something worth studying. The house sits one story tall, a gable-in-hip design, and here is where the story gets interesting. The place lacks ornamentation, and you might think that sounds plain.

But the richness is all in the materials. Colorado red ledgestone. Hand-split cedar shakes.

The horizontality of the whole structure is emphasized by bands of windows with horizontal muntins, pulling your eye along, keeping everything low and grounded and deliberate. No fuss. Just intention.

And this was just the house he lived in. Donald Mayes also designed several other homes in the Edgewood addition, plus banks, schools, First Presbyterian Church, the Grayson County sub-courthouse, and dozens of other residences in Denison. The man shaped a town.

And when shaping buildings wasn't enough, he chaired Denison's Planning and Zoning Commission, playing a prominent role in changes to the local built environment. Donald Mayes didn't just design structures. He helped decide what Denison would become.

The house is still here to prove it.

What the marker says

Architect Donald Mayes (1914-1966) designed and lived in this house with his wife, Rose Marie (Riddle) (1918-2008), whom he married in 1940. In addition to this home, he designed several others in the Edgewood addition, as well as banks, schools, First Presbyterian Church, Grayson County sub-courthouse and dozens of other residences in Denison. Mayes also played a prominent role in changes to the local built environment when he chaired Denison’s Planning and Zoning Commission. The one-story, gable-in-hip Mayes house lacks ornamentation due to rich features including Colorado red ledgestone and hand-split cedar shakes. The home’s horizontality is emphasized by bands of windows with horizontal muntins.