{"nrhp_refnum":"88002614","name":"Broyles, William and Caroline, House","other_names":["The Broyles House"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"1305 S. Sycamore St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Palestine","county":"Anderson County","state":"TX","lat":31.74809205400004,"lon":-101.62935241799994,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1988-11-10","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A large 2 1/2-story wood-frame Victorian single-family house completed in 1894 at 1305 South Sycamore Street, Palestine, Anderson County, Texas. It sits on a four-acre site with a servant's quarters, a squirrel cage and two non-contributing outbuildings.","why_significant":"The house is presented as one of the outstanding Victorian homes in East Texas and a successful example of late 19th-century eclecticism, blending Italianate, Second Empire, Eastlake and Queen Anne elements. It is tied to William Broyles, a prosperous lumberman who shaped Palestine's economic growth, and much of its millwork came from his own companies. Its estate-like siting on a full block and its largely original form add to its importance.","narrative":"Built in 1894 on the southern edge of Palestine, Texas, this 2 1/2-story wooden house occupies an entire city block of four acres. William Broyles, a lumberman, merchant and real estate developer, had it designed and built by local architect-builder Luther McKlemurry. Family tradition says it was a gift to his wife Caroline. The design combines Italianate drip moldings and quoins, a Second Empire mansard tower, Queen Anne shingled gables, and Eastlake turned posts, spindles and brackets. Much of the millwork was produced by Broyles' own mill, and the balcony uses cast-iron sewing machine treadles said to come from a train wreck. The interior was altered in the 1930s and 1950s, yet the house keeps its original form, original furniture, and several outbuildings, including servant's quarters and a squirrel cage. It is regarded as one of the finest Victorian homes in East Texas and a showplace of Palestine.","period_of_significance":"1800-1899","architect_builder":"L. McKlemurry (Luther McKlemurry, local architect/builder)","architectural_style":"Victorian eclectic: Italianate, Second Empire, Eastlake, and Queen Anne","criteria":[],"status_note":"Listed as unoccupied and vacant, in excellent condition, altered in the 1930s and 1950s but retaining most original characteristics.","vacant_flag":true,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:54:21.766253-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/85/9709/40970985/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_TX/88002614.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/88002614/041ba5e56a-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/88002614/041ba5e56a-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 4.0","author":"Renelibrary","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Broyels_House_Palesinte_Wiki_(1_of_1).jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Renelibrary</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 4.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Broyels_House_Palesinte_Wiki_(1_of_1).jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/40970985","wikipedia":null,"wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q110001176"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/texas/anderson-county/broyles-william-and-caroline-house-88002614/"}