DUANE
Duane's take
Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about the McNair House in Brownsville, Cameron County. Now settle in, because this one's got family, fabric, and a name you might recognize on the back of your jeans. In 1937, Brownsville architect A.H.
Woolridge drew up plans for a home — a real home, the kind a man builds when he knows he's put down roots for good. That man was Malcolm Prothro McNair, though everybody called him Jack. And Jack's story in Brownsville didn't start in 1937.
It started back in 1921, when he came to town to join his brother Phillip in a clothing manufacturing business. Now, brothers in business — that's either the best idea or the worst idea a family ever has. But Jack made it work.
More than work. He eventually became the sole owner of the company, and the McNair Clothing Manufacturing Company grew into something the whole region took notice of: the largest private employer south of San Antonio. Let that settle for a second.
South of San Antonio. That is a lot of South Texas, and a whole lot of people counting on one company built by a man who arrived in Brownsville with his brother and a business to tend. Jack and his wife Vivian Faust McNair settled into the house Woolridge designed for them — a fine example of Monterey style architecture, the marker tells us, with an L-shaped floor plan, a second-story balcony, painted brick exterior, shuttered windows, and a low-pitched roof.
The kind of house that has personality without showing off. Then came 1972. The McNair family sold the company — all of it — to Levi Strauss.
You've heard of Levi Strauss. The whole world has heard of Levi Strauss. And now you know a little something about the McNair family of Brownsville, who helped put the South Texas clothing industry on the map, and left behind a house that still stands as a quiet, elegant reminder of what one man and his family built here.
What the marker says
Brownsville architect A.H. Woolridge designed this home in 1937 for Malcolm Prothro (Jack) and Vivian Faust McNair. Jack McNair moved to Brownsville in 1921 to join his brother, Phillip, in a clothing manufacturing business. Jack eventually became sole owner of the company, and McNair Clothing Manufacturing Company grew to become the largest private employer south of San Antonio. The McNair family sold the company to Levi Strauss in 1972. The McNair House is a good local example of Monterey style architecture. Significant features include an L-shaped floor plan, second-story balcony, painted brick exterior, shuttered windows and a low-pitched roof. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark – 2008