James Claude Wright House - Weatherford, TX
N 32° 45.450 W 097° 47.966
14S E 612461 N 3625041
The James Claude Wright House is a beautiful example of the Queen Anne style, built in the 1890s, located at 202 W Oak St, Weatherford, TX. Today, it is the home of the Weatherford Economic Development Authority.
Waymark Code: WMNDEJ
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 02/20/2015
Views: 4
James Claude Wright was the father of former Weatherford mayor and U.S. Speaker of the House Jim Wright, who himself lived here at one time. A Texas Historical Marker was unveiled here on December 5, 2013, and Mr. Wright was here for the ceremony. The historical marker provides some background:
On September 20, 1898, Robert P. Lowe and his wife purchased the property at this site. The commonly held belief is that the house was built by Robert Lowe, who retired from Mobile and Ohio Railroad in 1894 and settled his family in Weatherford. He built the home sometime between 1897 and 1899 during construction of the building that would house his hardware business. Due to a fire that destroyed the Parker County Courthouse in 1874 early records of the home are non-existent. The earliest Sanborn map is for 1885 that depicts a home at the current location and the 1894 map depicts the same home which strongly suggests that a pre-existing structure was expanded or remodeled in the 1890s.
The Wright House represents the Queen Anne style, but with minimal modifications. In 1905, the back porch was enclosed to create a bathroom, closets were added in the bedrooms and the kitchen was remodeled. The original transoms are still in place as is the stained-glass transom panel over the front door. After the death of Robert Lowe in 1920 and his wife Evalina in 1924, the house was eventually sold to Nannie Hauser in 1927. James Claude and Marie Wright purchased the home from Hauser in 1940. James Wright started a business selling street signs to small towns and established national trade days to help promote small businesses. The descendants of James Wright occupied the home until 1972. In 2009, the City of Weatherford purchased the home to prevent demolition and convert the space to city offices. This historic home’s architecture and ties to the Lowe and Wright family enhance Weatherford’s historic fabric.
Public/Private: Public
Tours Available?: No
Year Built: 1890s
Web Address: Not listed
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