Temple, Henry G., House

A good example of the style with classical detailing and ornate landscaping. Built for Henry G. and Lucy Anderson Temple; he was Superintendent of the Southern Pine Lumber Company during the 1930s and president during the 1940s. The Temples came to Diboll in 1906, shortly after their marriage, from Millers Tavern, Virginia. Temple worked as a laborer in the mill for his uncle, T.L.L. Temple. At some point, the Temples moved to Pineland, where Temple was superintendent. In 1937 the Temples returned to Diboll and had this house built Ed Bodet, an architect in Houston, who was employed by the Temple Lumber Company designing houses during the Great Depression, was the architect of the residence with input from Mrs. Temple. Bodet went to school at Rice University and studied at Rice University. He is remembered by his colleagues as having designed a large number of churches. It is similar in style to the East Texas residences drawn by Texas architects during the Depression in the New Deal project. Historic American Building Survey. It is highly likely
that Bodet took his inspiration for the plan and style of this house from early 19th Century Texas houses drawn by the HABS project. The plan and style of the house are as applicable to the East Texas climate in the 1930s as they were in the 19th Century. Extant examples of this style constructed in the 19th Century still exist in the vicinity of San Augustine in East Texas and Brenham in Central Texas. The house was constructed by a carpenter crew from the Temple mill. In February 1939 he and H. B. White and H. C. White organized the Temple-White Company to manufacture broom and mop handles at Diboll. It was an important Depression Era project creating many new jobs in Diboll. Gresham Temple, son of Henry and Lucy Temple, lived in the house with his parents from 1939 to 1963. Henry Temple died in 1948. The residence still serves the Arthur Tempie family when they are in Diboll. Mr. Watson Walker remodeled the house after 1937 and again at a later, but unknown, date. Gresham Temple recalls that Arthur Temple did some renovations when he moved into the house; however, they did not significantly alter the structure. The residence is one of the few early structures associated with the Southern Pine Lumber Company now the Temple-Inland Corporation. The Commissary Building, an RTHL, (Site No. D-0902) has been extensively altered. The area of significance is architecture at the local level.