Author Archives: James D. Holland

304 N. Vine Street The Stambaugh House Built in 1885   Hidden in the closet of an upstairs bedroom of this home were the architect’s blueprints from a 1919 remodeling project.  The drawings revealed that this house, built by Winfield … Continue reading →

412 NW. 5th Spruce Street The Parent House Built in 1884   In the mid to late 1800’s cowboys drove thousands of Texas cattle up the Chisholm Trail to Abilene to be shipped east to market.  Although the boom ended … Continue reading →

600 N. Spruce Street The Jacobs House Built in 1884   A contractor and builder, Rolandus B. Jacobs, constructed this home in 1884 using mail order plans.  Jacobs and his business partner, A H. Paul, purchased this property on Spruce … Continue reading →

504 NW. 3rd Street The Hawk House Built in 1884   One of the most prominent men in Abilene at the turn of the century, C. G. Hawk (Calvin Gregg Hawk) built this home that became the center of many … Continue reading →

615 NW. 3rd Street The Rice House Built in 1879   A man elected to the position of mayor of Abilenne for eight terms built this Queen Anne style home in 1879.  Following the rowdy days of the cattle era, … Continue reading →