Texas, The
a.k.a. Dryer House;Brunell House
306 Dryer Ave., Daphne, ALIn 1833 William L. Howard purchased over a hundred acres on the bluffs of Mobile Bay's Eastern Shore. The small community which existed there depended on the steamers to Mobile for commerce and supplies. This community, soon to be named Daphne, was then called Bell Rose. Howard realized the possibilities for a hotel and in 1835 constructed a large guest house with attendant cottages on his land overlooking the bay. The cottages were named the Texas, the California, the Long Branch and the Homestead. By 1850 Howard owned real estate worth $10,000 and the hotel enjoyed steady business. After his death, his widow sold the property to William Dryer in 1894.
Dryer continued to operate the complex as a hotel, renamed the Daphne Springs Hotel. In 1907 Dryer moved the Texas onto an adjacent lot and pulled down the other cottages. The Texas served as a residence for the Dryers and subsequent owners down through the years. The only significant changes in the building were made by the Dryers after the 1907 move.
Listed in National Register of Historic Places in 1988.
The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the Nation’s historic places worthy of preservation. Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America’s historic and archeological resources.