National Register Listing

Chilton, Dr. L.W. and Martha E.S., House

242 N. Chilton St., Goliad, TX

The 1902 Dr. L.W. and Martha E.S. Chilton House is a Late Victorian Queen Anne-style house with spindlework detailing. Immediately following the destruction of the Chilton's 1892 house by a 1902 cyclone, construction of the current building began atop of the old foundation. Victoria architect Jules Leffland designed the current house with assistance from Bailey Mills, a noted local builder. The Chilton House served as the center of the active and exceptional life of Dr. L.W. Chilton, a pioneer in the practice of medicine in South Texas and a physician and surgeon in Goliad County for over 50 years. The Dr. L.W. and Martha E.S. Chilton House meet Criterion B in the area of Health/Medicine at the local level of significance for its strong associations with the life of Dr. L.W. Chilton. It also meets Criterion C in the area of Architecture at the local level of significance as a well-preserved local example of the Queen Anne style designed by proficient architect Jules Leffland.

One of the first three municipalities in Texas, the city of Goliad served as the seat of Goliad County since 1836. The Chilton property is part of the original four leagues of a land grant signed by the Republic of Texas President, Sam Houston in 1844, two years before the United States annexed Texas into the Union.

As a young doctor, Louis Warren Chilton (1865-1945) practiced medicine in Weser, Texas. He married Martha Ella Shaper (1870-1942) in March of 1892. Ella was the daughter of Louis and Alice Nance Shaper, pioneer settlers of Goliad County. Ella was also the niece of Henry Shaper, long-time Goliad County Judge and Representative of the 87th District to the 22nd Texas State Legislature in 1890.

Anticipating his marriage, Dr. Chilton purchased two lots in the growing city of Goliad in September of 1891, shortly after the 1886 arrival of the railroad in Goliad and just before the construction of a brand new courthouse in 1894. The Chilton's original dwelling on this property was built and completed in early 1892, and Dr. and Mrs. Chilton moved into the house following their wedding. Dr. Chilton's blossoming career as a physician took a major step in 1893 when he was appointed as County Physician for Goliad County.

As the chief health officer for Goliad County, Dr. Chilton worked to insure that communicable diseases stayed under control and to assure access to emergency health services. In 1902, the gruesome opportunity arrived for Dr. Chilton to exercise his authority. On Sunday, May 18, 1902, just after 3:30 in the afternoon, one of the most destructive tornadoes ever to hit Texas touched down on the south side of the San Antonio River. The storm cut a path of destruction through northwest Goliad a mile long and two city blocks wide. On a call in a neighboring town when the storm hit, Dr. Chilton forced his horse to swim across the river because a tornado destroyed the bridge. When he reached Goliad; he discovered that the storm reduced his home to rubble. Upon reaching the courthouse, he discovered that his family survived. His wife, Ella, suffered a broken hip, but his five-year-old son, Warren Jr., was unharmed. Katie May, his eight-year-old daughter, had actually been sucked into the funnel but, miraculously, suffered only minor scratches and bruises. Dr. Chilton immediately began ministering to the wounded and dying. He set up a temporary hospital and morgue in the courthouse. The official death toll was 114, over ten percent of the total population of Goliad, with another 225 injured.

Following the destruction of their home, the Chiltons set up residence in Dr. Chilton's office building while the construction of a new home took place. Dr. Chilton retained Victoria architect Jules Leffland to design a new home over the old foundation. Bailey Mills, the noted area builder, began construction on the house in June of 1902. The 2 1/2-story home and carriage house were completed in October of the same year. Dr. Chilton also commissioned the addition of an underground storm cellar on the property as a safety measure should they ever experience another disaster like the storm of 1902.

The new house was built on a much grander scale than the original to more aptly fit Dr. Chilton's social stature. The irregular plan, varied porches with delicate spindlework detailing and balustrades, and the cross-gabled roof form all typify the Late Victorian Queen Anne style. The distinctive rectangular tower on the southeast corner of the house displays a mansard roof shape. The design of the Chilton House reflects typical characteristics of late Victorian architectural styles, whose complex plans and decorative embellishments became increasingly popular in late 19th-century residences through pattern books and other publications. Since constructed in 1902, this house represents a relatively late interpretation of the style, suggesting that the architect built the house to the specifications of Dr. Chilton, most likely following the style and form of the destroyed 1892 residence.
Several 19th century houses in Goliad also display similar wood construction, spindlework porches, and gable ornamentation, however, the Chilton House remains one of the largest and most elaborate examples of this architectural style in Goliad. Other houses rebuilt after the 1902 cyclone also displayed Late Victorian characteristics, such as the Charles H. and Catherine B. Baker House at 401 S. Commercial Street (NR 1985) which reflects the Stick/Eastlake style and features a simpler rectangular floor plan.

The Chilton House architect, Jules Carl Leffland, was born in Denmark in 1854, where he received architectural training before immigrating to Texas with his wife Emilie Sophie Struck in 1886. He began his career in Texas by helping move homes from Indianola to Cuero after the hurricane of 1886. By 1910, Leffland maintained an office in Victoria and had designed some 80 buildings including churches, schools, banks, city halls, hotels, and residences in an area stretching from Wharton to Kingsville. Most of Leffland's surviving buildings are in Victoria, including several large wooden houses that typify his residential designs with tripartite door and window arrangements, wrap-around porches, and double entrances on two sides.

Perhaps due to the emotional impact of the near loss of his family and the devastation of his city, Dr. Chilton became involved in fraternal organizations with the goal of assisting those in need. In June of 1903, Dr. Chilton joined fourteen others to charter a Goliad lodge of The Order of the Sons of Hermann; the largest Fraternal Benefit Society of its kind in the state of Texas. The primary mission of the lodge was to aid the victims of disasters. He became a Mason and held the top office of the Goliad Lodge #94 in 1904 and again in 1914. Dr. Chilton was noted in his community for many humanitarian acts and for assisting people of varied religions and races (Goliad Advance-Guard 1945). The doctor was also dedicated to education and spent 25 years as an officer and trustee on the Goliad School Board. A lifelong Republican, Dr. Chilton spent several terms as the Goliad County Republican Executive Committee Chairman.

As the doctor grew into a position of respect in the community and his financial situation improved, he was able to purchase property in the town square where he built the Chilton Building (Goliad County Courthouse Historic District, NR 1976) which housed his clinic until the close of his practice in 1941, when he moved his office into the downstairs sitting room of his house. Notably, Leffland also designed Chilton's two commercial buildings in Goliad. These 2-part commercial building display stylistic characteristics typical of Late Victorian commercial buildings.

Dr. Chilton always strove to bring the best medical care to the people of Goliad County. In 1905 he installed the first generator to manufacture electricity for his x-ray machine. In 1907, Dr. Chilton successfully petitioned the city for the right of way to put poles in the city and to maintain an electric plant. The plant initially powered Dr. Chilton's office and several neighboring businesses. By 1909, the Commissioner's Court voted to have electricity installed in the courthouse and jail and four street lights were installed on the square. Dr. Chilton's X-ray machine is on display at the Texas X-ray Company in Corpus Christi, Texas (Goliad County Historical Commission, 1988). In 1907, believing it would be superior transportation for making house calls, Dr. Chilton brought the first automobile to Goliad. Unfortunately, the "Red Devil" was more likely to break down on the road than successfully transport him between calls. It was several years before automobiles became reliable enough for the doctor to put his horse out to pasture.

The Chilton's home became a community focal point and when the streets were redrawn, the city renamed the street they lived on from Church to Chilton Street in honor of the doctor and his elegant home. The Chiltons adorned the house to suit its grand style--the focal point of the music room was a large mahogany pier mirror from the Hall of Mirrors in Versailles, France. The library hosted large social gatherings and featured an original portrait of John James Audubon's wife painted by Audubon hanging over the white marble mantle (Chilton Papers Goliad County Museum, 1997).

Dr. L.W. Chilton was a medical pioneer and social leader and humanitarian in Goliad County. His house remains a landmark to his important role in the community. For its associations with the life of Dr. L.W. Chilton and as a good example of Leffland-designed Queen Anne residence in Goliad, the Dr. L.W. and Martha E.S. Chilton House meet the criterion in the area of Health/Medicine and Criterion C in the area of Architecture at the local level of significance.

Local significance of the building:
Listed in National Register of Historic Places in 1998.