811 W Oak - West Denton Residential Historic District - Denton, TX
N 33° 12.924 W 097° 08.454
14S E 673258 N 3676706
Known as the Martin-Russell-Vann House, the home at 811 W Oak St is a contributing building in the West Denton Residential Historic District.
Waymark Code: WM1608D
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 04/05/2022
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The house is a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark, and a 2016 Texas Historical Marker here provides not only some background on the house, but also for the families who have lived here:
This prominent residence was built in 1925-27 at a cost of $30,000 for Dr. M.L. Martin (1869-1941) and his wife, Ailsey (Forester) Martin (1890-1968). Ailsey grew up on the nearby Forester Ranch (established 1852) and received one-third of the ranch of the famous "Two-I-Jinglebob" brand when it was divided in 1913. Dr. Martin was born in South Carolina and received degrees from Peabody College (Nashville, TN) in 1892 and the University of Texas at Austin in 1899. He served in the medical corps during World War I and was a doctor in Denton for forty years until his death.
Pilot Point native James Holford Russell and wife, Ava Lee (Mars) Russell, bought this property in 1945. J.H. Russell earned a degree from the University of Texas at Austin in 1919 and for decades managed Russell's Department Store, part of a family business that debuted in Denton in 1925. He was also a civic leader and Texas Woman's University Regent. The Russells lived here until 1967.
Fort Worth architect J.B. Davies designed the house, with H.F. Davidson as carpenter and Charles N. Davis in charge of brick and concrete work. The home has an attic and basement and 14 rooms, with a sun parlor, living room, dining room, breakfast room, kitchen and reception hall on the first floor, and four bedrooms, a sleeping porch, library and two bathrooms upstairs. Prominent features of the Georgian Revival style house include its red brick veneer and white stone trim, green-tinted metal tile roof with dormers, arched windows with keystones, pedimented entryway door surround, wrought iron balconies and symmetrical massing. Since its construction, the house has been the scene of numerous social and community events.
In more recent days, Don and Dolores Vann were owners of the house, and Mrs. Vann was a serious mover and shaker for the preservation of this historic neighborhood, living long enough to see it listed on the National Register of Historic Places.