Felder, E. King, House - Chappell Hill, TX - U.S. National Register of Historic Places on Waymarking.com

Per the Texas Historical Commission Atlas records:

"Built [in 1910] by J. W. Heartfield for $5,000, the King Felder House is a one-and-half story transitional Queen Anne/Colonial Revival frame residence with a combination roof covered with composition shingles. The front of the house is dominated by an attached encircling porch supported by slightly tapered Doric columns and a projecting gabled bay on the north end. This chambered bay contains two scroll brackets at the eaves and a plain pediment with clapboard siding above. Rising from the main hipped part of the roof are two large dormers, each of which contains a single-sash window and hipped roof. Simple wooden surrounds face all windows. Oversized side lights and transom belong to the single entry that opens onto the main hallway. The modern transomed entrance door displays a fanciful diamond pattern. Windows in the front bay also contain leaded glass. Original 6/6-light, double-hung, wooden windows have recently been replaced by single sash wood windows.

The interior of the structure is distinguished by the decoratively carved wooden features of the main hallway, which extends through the width of the house. Access to the stairway is through an elaborate wooden archway carved with scrolls, garlands, and with bead and real borders. The arch is supported by elaborately carved Corinthian columns resting on coffered paneled pedestals. The single outbuilding on the property is a small, modern clapboard garage with a gable roof constructed in 1956/1957, which should not be considered contributing. The exterior of the house has remained virtually unaltered, as evidenced by an historic photograph taken shortly after construction was completed.

Architecturally, the King Felder residence is significant for its elaborately carved interior wooden detailing and because it is a good representation of an early 20th-century transitional house form. Only one other comparable example of this form, although not as refined, exists in Chappell Hill. Constructed by J. W. Heartfield in 1910, the present house is notable for its sound construction and fine workmanship. The original owner of the home also owned a large lumber yard and had access to some of the finest lumber in the area. All the construction is pegged, with square nails employed as necessary. The integrity of the structure's setting on its original landscaped large lot is rare. Only the fence has changed, from wooden picket to chain link. Large trees on the lot have been retained, while a new hedge lining the fence has been planted.

The residence is locally significant, too, for its association with the Felders, an early and prominent Chappell Hill family. Both Mattie Cooke and King Felder were descended from prominent pioneer families who came to the Chappell Hill area. J. H. Cooke, grandfather of Mattie Cooke, served as Customs Collector for the Republic of Texas before moving to Chappell Hill. King Felder was descended from the Chappell Hill family of prominent clergyman Jacob Matthews. After 1910 Edgar King Felder (1871-1952), together with his brother and father, Rufus King Felder, engaged in the hardware and lumber business under the name R. K. Felder and Sons. Lumber for some of the town's finest early 20th century residences was furnished by their company. Rufus King Felder had managed the plantation of his mother, Mrs. Catherine Felder, in South Carolina until 1871, when he moved to Chappell Hill and purchased a tract of land on the Stevens League. The Felder family gradually amassed large land holdings as a result of their profitable agricultural, stockraising, and shipping endeavors. King Felder married Mattie Cooke in 1903 and built this fine house as their new residence. Two years after King Felder's death in 1952, his son Edgar sold the house to George Alexander, a rice farmer. Roger Dresch, the current owner, acquired the property in 1976. The house remains today as physical evidence of the prosperity Chappell Hill enjoyed at the turn-of-the-century.

BIBLIOGRAPHY: Correspondence from Edgar Felder, son of E. King Felder, January 1984. Washington County Deed Records, Brenham, Texas"

Street address: 5150 Haller St. Chappell Hill, TX USA 77426 County / Borough / Parish: Washington county Year listed: 1985 Historic (Areas of) Significance: Architecture/Engineering: Colonial Revival, Queen Anne House Periods of significance: 1900-1924 Historic function: Domestic, Single Dwelling (private residence) Current function: Domestic, Single Dwelling (private residence) Privately owned?: yes Primary Web Site: [Web Link] Secondary Website 1: [Web Link] Season start / Season finish: Not listed Hours of operation: Not listed Secondary Website 2: Not listed National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed

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Date Logged Log User Rating   12/30/2014 Raven visited it