Pybus-Koerber House

Duane's take

Here's how the official marker tells it, and I'm gonna give it to you straight. Back in 1915, a builder by the name of Joseph Pybus put up a home right here in Matagorda County, near Palacios. He didn't just throw it together either.

Pybus had it designed by C.F. Emmons, and the result was something worth remembering: a bungalow cottage with a pyramidal roof, a central hipped dormer, a three-bay porch, and textured concrete blocks made with oyster shell aggregate. Oyster shell in the walls.

Now that is a Texas detail right there. You look at those blocks and the coast is practically speaking to you. Now the Pybus family held onto the place for a while, but in 1924 it changed hands.

James L. and Ina Mae Koerber, she was born a Perryman, bought it from the Pybus family and made it their own. J.L. Koerber was not a man who sat still.

He owned the Palacios Garage and Auto Co., and if that wasn't enough to keep him busy, he also served as mayor of Palacios from 1948 to 1952. He had a canning operation going, and a travel court right on this very site. That travel court, along with rooms inside the house itself, opened its doors to military personnel and their families from Camp Hulen.

Think about that for a moment. This same house, with its handsome oyster shell walls and its wide porch, became a place of rest and welcome for soldiers and the people who loved them. The Pybus-Koerber House has been a lot of things to a lot of people over the years.

A craftsman's design. A family home. A garage owner's pride.

A mayor's address. And for a time, a quiet shelter for folks waiting on the world to settle back down.

What the marker says

In 1915, builder Joseph Pybus erected this home, designed by C.F. Emmons. James L. and Ina Mae (Perryman) Koerber bought it from the Pybus family in 1924. Owner of the Palacios Garage and Auto Co., J.L. also served as mayor, 1948-52. Other business interests included a canning operation and travel court on this site. The travel court, along with rooms in the house, provided space for military personnel and families from Camp Hulen. The bungalow cottage features a pyramidal roof, central hipped dormer, three-bay porch and textured concrete blocks with oyster shell aggregate. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 2004