Martin-Lowe House
507 W. Fifth, Clarendon, TXThe Martin-Lowe House was built in 1904 by F. D. Martin. His wife Nellie S. Martin owned a very fine mercantile store and was energetic in civic activities. Also, he and his wife added much to the musical and social life of the community. In 1926 R. H. Muir, Sr. sold the house to S. W. Lowe and wife Lilac, and this was to be the Lowes' home for the next fifty-six years. This Queen Anne structure, with the Lowe family as the occupants, weaves a well-established social and civic fabric in Clarendon's heritage. Many factors add to the elaborate texture of the Martin-Lowe House, and each occupying family (Martins, Calhouns, Muirs, and Lowes) added to the historic significance of the structure.
On April 30, 1904, the Clarendon Chronicle carried an item in its Local and Personal Column stating that "F. D. Martin will begin the erection of a handsome residence in south-west Clarendon in the coming week."1 On July 20, 1904, another news item appeared which stated that "the new residence of F. D. Martin was well underway and would make quite a showing when completed."2 The Martins, natives of Tennessee, owned a very fine mercantile store which advertised tailor-made suits, real Valencia lace handkerchiefs, and linen and Battenberg material.3 The Martins were most sympathetic to the arts. Clarendon was proud to have an opera house during this era, and "it is said that many times the female singers would dress at the Martin house for the performance."
The Martin House was acquired in 1910 by San Antonio rancher John M. Calhoun and his wife Annie Moss, who used the structure as a summer residence. R. H. Muir, a rancher, cattle buyer, and inspector, bought the house four years later, continuing the tie with ranching, the key industry of the region.
S. W. Lowe and his wife Lilac bought the Martin-Lowe House in 1926 and lived there for fifty-six years. Both Mr. and Mrs. Lowe first lived in south Texas, although after they finished college and were married they came to this area. Mr. Lowe was Dean of Goodnight Baptist College, which was located about 20 miles northwest of Clarendon. Mrs. Lowe served as matron in charge of the girls' dormitory. They then moved to Clarendon where he became the high school principal. In 1919 Mr. Lowe decided to go into the grocery business and did this for twenty years. He served three terms as judge of Donley County. The Lowes were active in the First Baptist Church, where Mr. Lowe served as a deacon, and Sunday School Superintendent for twenty years taught a class for over fifty years, and was an active lay preacher. Mrs. Lowe taught the beginners' Sunday School class for over forty years.
During the fifty-six years that the Lowe family lived in the present house, they opened their doors for district and local church affairs, receptions for visiting dignitaries, club meetings, weddings, and funerals. Mr. Lowe died in 1968 and Mrs. Lowe in 1982. Clarendon in 1904 was very much a frontier of American culture and arts. It is hoped that the restoration of this fine historic house will help preserve a feeling of the times for future generations.
Listed in National Register of Historic Places in 1985.
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.