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Friday, February 21, 2014

Fairy Tale Architecture for Mrs. Florence Butt

Built for Florence Butt in 1932, this home at 719 Earl Garrett Street
in Kerrville features unique rockwork and originally sported
a very interesting design  and treatment of the roof's shingles.
 Click on any image to enlarge.
719 Earl Garrett, Kerrville.  I believe the woman at the front corner
might well be Mrs. Florence Butt, who began a grocery business
in Kerrville in 1905.  The business proved successful.

Another view of 719 Earl Garrett Street, Kerrville.
Note the stalagmites atop the chimney.
For many years I've admired the two homes in the 700 block of Earl Garrett Street in Kerrville which now house the offices of the H. E. Butt Foundation. A friend shared these photographs with me last week, showing the Mrs. Butt's house soon after it was constructed.
The homes were originally built in 1932 for Mrs. Florence Butt, and a similar one next door for her son, Eugene.  Mac Mull, the "head architect of the grocery company," designed the homes.
These early photographs show off the wooden shingles which "were curved at the eaves and doors, and layered in places to create a waved effect."  I think the effect is interesting -- and makes the roof look thatched.

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5 comments:

  1. Marcus GoodyearFebruary 21, 2014 at 9:03 AM

    Hey, I recognize that place!

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousFebruary 21, 2014 at 9:03 AM

    Joe - love it. Thank you so much for posting this. I sent the link to the foundation office staff.

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousFebruary 21, 2014 at 4:55 PM

    These are great photos.

    That is the strangest looking roof that I have ever seen.

    Joe, thank you for posting these pictures; I love old photos of Kerrville, and Kerr County.

    ReplyDelete
  4. UnknownApril 23, 2014 at 10:47 AM

    I do have to agree with you. I think that house is really unique, especially the roof shingles. I think it is an architectural feat onto itself. Creating that sort of shape for a roof is quite hard. That is just simply amazing.
    Paul Lawson

    ReplyDelete
  5. UnknownOctober 10, 2014 at 5:17 PM

    You can see Eugene Butt's ham antenna tower in the background. He lived next door in a similar house. As a child, I visited his ham shack. The vintage radio equipment up there (room above his garage) was amazing.

    ReplyDelete

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