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Erected 1883-1884 by George Meriwether,
landowner. Has square nails, pine walls and floors. The residence,
in Spanish provincial style, was one of the first two-story homes
built in Edna. The original layout included a separate kitchen and
servants' quarters. The 22-room house is still called "The Mott"
because it is set among many live oaks. Purchased 1907 by E. P.
Simons; willed 1946 to his daughters. Recorded Texas Historic
Landmark, 1968. |
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The original part of the house was finished in 1884. Construction was begun in late 1883, and the work finished in August of 1884. The home was built by George Meriwether and his wife Betty. The original portion of the house consisted of a central hall with two rooms on either side. At the end of the hall was a dining room. The upstairs followed the same floor plan with 2 large bedrooms and a hall. Long galleries ran the width of the house upstairs and downstairs and turned to go around the full south side of the house. In the southern tradition, the kitchen was away from the house. Beyond the kitchen were the servants quarters and the smokehouse. There were two small houses that served as homes for the two black families living on the place. These dwellings and smokehouse extended about 70 feet behind the main house. Also in the lay-out was a very large barn, chicken house, pens, sheds, and the usual out buildings required to run cattle and farming. The house has been a center of social life through the years. Many parties and socials were held by the well-to-do Meriwethers, but the most tragic was the funeral of their son. He was killed when he was 19. The accident happened while he was riding horseback. His horse went under a low limb and it broke his neck. The funeral was held in the parlor. Mrs. Emma Waddel, who was a dear friend of Betty Meriwether remembers sitting up with the family to keep the all night vigil that was the custom. The only other body to lie in state in the house was my maternal grandmother, Mrs. E. P. Simons (Nannie Gayle Simons) in 1929. Her funeral was held at the Edna Methodist Church. The Meriwether family had extensive land holdings. Mrs. Waddel told me that they owned over 40,000 acres over this whole area. After Mr. Meriwether's death, his wife rented the north upstairs bedroom to a Miss Williams, a teacher in the local schools. My wife's cousin, Dr. Herman Dustin of Houston, who was born and raised in Edna, remembers going to her room for club meetings. The "North Room" has always been full of activity concerning children. It was the guest room, so it was always available for the many friends of the children in the family. We have continued the tradition, and it is our daughter's room, now full of activity. Mrs. Betty Meriwether sold the house and land to Mr. and Mrs. E. P. Simons in 1907 and moved to San Antonio. Edwin Percy and Nannie Gayle Simons and their four children, Gena Lee, Wallace, Milam and Frances moved into the house immediately thereafter. The family had lived on the ranch in the southern part of the county and then moved to the Gayle Estate, known as the "Rice Farm," until they found the house in town. The youngest girl, Frances, age 2, was the only one not in school, but the other three children needed to be in town to attend a school and church. At this time the house was enlarged to 13 rooms. The front part, or the original section was left intact, but the dining room was enlarged. In this construction, the main material used on the walls and floor was 1 x 4 pine. Also downstairs a bath was added on the end of the south gallery. Upstairs, the rear portion was left unfinished with 3 large dormer windows 7 x 11 each leading off of a central section 14 x 11 feet. At this time the 4 fireplaces were added. In October 1965, we started remodeling the upstairs bathroom and removed the wall against the bricks and found pencil markings on the bricks. They were the number of bricks used to that point.
Many of the numbers are faded but the list is as well as we can make out. When restoring the downstairs middle bedroom, which is now our library, in September 1964, we were removing paint from the mantle and discovered the initials of my two uncles carved in the wood in a child's writing. WCS and MGS. The initials had been covered by 6 coats of paint in the 55 or so years. Until the fireplaces were installed in 1907, the rooms were heated by wood stoves. One great aunt remembers that they were the Franklin-type stoves, but we are not certain of this. At this time many ranchers that lived in the county were sending their children to town to go to school. My grandparents took in many of these children and made them a part of their family during the week and then the student boarders went home for the weekend. As well as we can find out from the very old people in Edna, this was the first home to be opened to school boarders. Many of the children considered my grandmother their second mother. It was through this arrangement that my mother and father met. My father was eight years older than my mother. He came to town to go to school and lived with my grandparents. Most of the boys lived in the unfinished portion of the rear of the upstairs and enjoyed playing in the rafters and roof corners. The home was the center of the family activity and was in constant use for many church and social activities as both grandparents were very active in church work and my grandfather was on the school board for many years. Several of my mother's first cousins were born in the house. Mama Nannie, as grandmother was called, took care of all of her family when they were ill since she had the room to take care of them. The two cousins to be born in the downstairs bedroom where our music room is now were Nannie Mae Gayle Dupont and George Sutherland Gayle, III, now of Houston. Dr. Gayle is a prominent dentist and rancher and lives in River Oaks. Nannie Mae Dupont, is a prominent teacher and is a past president of the Houston Teachers Association. Several years ago she was also Mrs. America. Eventually, the kitchen was moved up to the house and two work rooms were added to the house on either side of the kitchen. At this time the upstairs rear portion was made into five rooms. A bath was added and the place of the rear fireplace was made a closet. In remodeling this bathroom, we have uncovered the fireplace and installed a hand-made mantle. The closet was taken out and is now the entrance to the bathroom. In 1929 the upstairs was altered considerably to hold five families. It was a necessity due to the financial depression condition of the era. In addition to my grandparents, my aunt, Mrs. Audrey Lawrence, and her daughter, Elizabeth Jane Lawrence Orman; Milam Gayle Simons and his wife Lillian Hensley Simons and their four children; Wallace Simons and his wife, Rhea Whittington Simons; and my parents, Jesse Carlton Farquhar and Frances Simons Farquhar all lived in the house. In 1940, Wallace moved to the ranch at Vanderbilt, known as Menefee Flats. Then in 1942, Milam and his family of four children moved to the southern part of the county on the Hensley Ranch. It was during the remodeling of the upstairs in 1929 that my grandmother died. She was working in the newly created south bedroom and stepped on a rusty tack. She was rushed to San Antonio, but died of blood poisoning. My grandfather died in 1946 and left the house and town property to my mother and aunt, but my aunt and cousin continued to live in the house until they built a house across the street. In 1953 my parents built a new home down the street and opened the range land up for a subdivision. At that time the home was rented. In 1953, we moved back to Edna from New York and are gradually restoring or conserving the old house. We are doing one room at a time and have recently started on the front of the house. We removed the added sleeping porch and will soon replace and add the banisters for the front galleries. There are now 22 rooms, galleries, and halls in the old home.
The home is opened to the public during the
Texana Historical Pilgrimage and will eventually be opened to the
public by appointment during the year. |
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Additional Information From Historical Marker Application Floors and walls were of 1 x 6 pine and very hard pine for studs and supports. In restoring the old hosue, the supports were almost impossible to remove, but or drive new nails. The old portion had square nails. The porches extended the length of the front and around the south side. It was originally built in a mott of liveoak trees out in the country. There was a long drive up to the front of the house, which is now a street named for the house, Simons Street. Mrs. Meriwether was a very wealthy lady and owned property in vast areas. She was a leader in civic and church activities. When Edna was established in 1883, she wanted to move in closer to town. At one time, Edna was known as the "Mott" referring to her land and home.
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Copyright 2018-
Present by source entities |
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| Created Apr 25, 2018 |
Updated Apr 25, 2018 |
