DUANE
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Duane's take
Here's how the official marker tells it, and I'm passing it straight along to you. Out here in Wilbarger County, there's a house that has watched two remarkable men live their lives under its roof, and it has done so with considerable style. We're talking about the W.
D. Berry Home, and the story starts back in 1906, when this Colonial Revival residence was completed for a man named Sterling P. Huff.
Now, Sterling P. Huff was not a man who did things halfway. He was an attorney, for starters, and he climbed the legal ladder with some purpose.
He became Justice of the 46th District Court, and if that wasn't enough, he was later elected to the 7th Court of Civil Appeals. The man had a way of moving up. Then comes 1914, and the house changes hands.
A local attorney by the name of William David Berry purchases the home, and that is the name that sticks to this place. Berry was more than just a lawyer. He had been an educator before that, and he carried himself as a prominent civic leader.
He served as city attorney of Vernon, and he served as Wilbarger County Attorney. Two serious men, one serious house. And the house itself, well, it holds up its end of the bargain.
Step inside and you will find elaborate Victorian detailing on the interior, which is a somewhat unexpected thing to discover tucked inside a Colonial Revival exterior. That's the kind of surprise that keeps a house interesting across the decades. Two attorneys, one home, and enough history to fill a courtroom.
What the marker says
Completed in 1906, this Colonial Revival residence was constructed for Sterling P. Huff. An attorney, Huff became Justice of the 46th District Court and was later elected to the 7th Court of Civil Appeals. In 1914 local attorney William David Berry purchased the home. A former educator and a prominent civic leader, Berry served as city attorney of Vernon and as Wilbarger County Attorney. The interior of the house features elaborate Victorian detailing. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1981