Knittel House - Burton Commercial Historic District - Burton, TX
Posted by: 
WalksfarTX
N 30° 10.943 W 096° 35.764
14R E 731463 N 3341436
A late Victorian house of frame construction, the 1- and 2-story L-plan residence features asymmetrical massing and detailing drawn from the Queen Anne style.
Waymark Code: WMZJYQ
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 11/21/2018
Views: 1
NRHP Nomination Form" The l-story, gabled section of the house (early 1870s) forms the back of the L-plan and was originally a vernacular 1- or 2-room store. The 2-story (1902) section provides the Main Street facade with upper and lower wraparound galleries with chamfered posts, turned balusters and jigsaw brackets. A 2-story round turret sheathed with imbricated shingles enlivens the composition. Gables and the turret are clad in ornamented shingles laid in various patterns.
Built in three phases, the residence housed two generations of the Knittel family. The oldest section of the existing house is the l-story gabled portion projecting from the north elevation. Believed to have been built in the 1870s, it originally functioned as the first store of H. Knittel Sr. In 1880, Knittel had a residence built on the lot near the store that resulted in the 2-story portion with wraparound galleries facing Main Street. After Knittel Sr. traded his property to his son in 1902, H. Knittel Jr. added a 2-story section to the rear of the house. The turret was part of this enlargement, connecting the original store with the residence.
The dwelling served as the home of H. Knittel Sr. between 1880 and about 1895, when he moved to Brenham. In addition to serving as a state legislator in the 1880s, he was one of Burton's earliest gin owners, a prominent merchant, and a farmer. Upon moving to Brenham, he deeded the property to his son, H. Knittel Jr. A prominent merchant in his own right, the son lived in the house until his death in 1926."