319 West
Gandy Street
Photo by Mavis Bryant, ca1999
The
modest Victorian two-story, brick cottage
probably was built in the
late 1870s but certainly existed by 1887.
A simple
gable-front-and-wing design, its arched
two-over-two and gingerbread
trimmed gables bespeak Gothic and Italianate
affinities. It has a
frame kitchen at the back, characteristic of
early Denison brick
residences.
The
two little rectangular rivets to the right
of the porch roof held iron
tie-bars in place that stretched through the
house from front to back,
holding the house together. While on
some houses these are
decorative Texas stars or other ornaments,
these are very simple and
may have been parts kyped from the MKT
Railroad. The sidewalk is
of bricks and the house still has its
antique wire fence.
The
house appears to be on the Denison's
birds-eye map of 1876 and 1886.
It was occupied sometime between 1880
and 1887 by John W. (ca1821
- 1896) and Bessie Wiley Mason (1836 -
1913). He was born in
Mantanzas, Cuba, but moved to New York
around 1825. Bessie was
born in Massachusetts. It was the
second marriage for both.
He was a tobacconist with a shop at
310 W. Main in 1876.
His son, John E. Mason
(1848 - 1877), bought the cigar business of
William Woolacott at 219 W.
Main in December. After John E. died
the following year, his
father, John W., continued to operate the
latter business for several
years under his son's name. This may
have led to confusion as to
the senior Mason's middle initial.
Until his death nineteen years
later he was referred to sometimes as John
W. and sometimes as John E.
Mason. For the last twelve years of
his life, he was a paralytic.
Before moving to 319 W. Gandy the Masons
were neighbors of B.C. Murray
on Morgan street. Through the years
Murray published in his
newspaper many poems and at least one song
authored by Bessie.
Most of them were signed "B.W. Mason."
The longest of them
was a Christmas poem attributed to "Mrs.
J.W. Mason." It appeared
December 22, 1895, having been published the
previous year in the New Orleans
Item after it won first place in a
competition that attracted 300
submissions. The poem contains many
details of New England
Christmases of the mid-1800s. Bessie
continued to live at 319 W.
Gandy at least for a couple of years
following her husband's death in
1896, but by 1901 she had moved to 320 N.
Mirick. At the time of
her death in 1913 she was living with a
niece at 1700 S. Houston, near
the avenue's intersection with what is now
US 69.
From
1909 to 1968, the house belonged
successfully to three sisters, Lena C.
Nassoy, Gertrude Nassoy Kerr, and Anna
Nassoy Clark. John
DeGolian Mason, owner from 1971 to 1993,
painted the exterior pink and
cream after a visit to Florida. Felix
Munson also lived in the
house.
Biography Index
Susan Hawkins
©2025
If
you
find any of Grayson County
TXGenWeb links inoperable, please send me a
message.
|