Clendenen-Carleton House
a.k.a. Carleton House
803 N. Main St., Bonham, TXUtilizing elements of the Eastlake and Stick architectural styles, the Clendenen-Carleton House is a fine example of the vernacular Victorian residences built by prosperous merchants and professional men in North Texas during the last quarter of the 19th Century. Its north, south, and, particularly, east facades display the elaborate and imaginative structural and ornamental features that made this building mode such a popular one at the time.
Adding an authentic touch to the original feeling of the property is the boldly initialed stone carriage block of the home's builder, Albert Joseph Clendenen. It is the only one known to remain in Bonham and one of the only two in Fannin County. The structure has retained virtually all of its original architectural features and should be easily stabilized and restored to its original condition. All of the external decorative and structural elements are intact or easily duplicated or restored.
The few additions to the Clendenen-Carleton House (sunporches on the south elevation, and the back porch and kitchen to the west at the rear) were made sixty to seventy-five years ago, utilizing the same type of materials and construction used in the original portion of the structure. These additions, rather than detracting from them, actually add to the significance of the property in that they indicate adaptive uses made to meet current needs at the time of modification.
The two previous owners of the house prior to its acquisition in 1976 by Dr. William F. King were Albert Joseph Clendenen, its builder, and Dr. James C. Carleton, who acquired it in 1914.
Little is known of A.J. Clendenen, son of pioneer Bonham doctor Andrew Clendenen, except that he was in the ice business, possibly operating one of Bonham's first ice plants. His first wife was of the Castleberry family, and his second was a Hartfield. He died in Collins County in 1930.
The home's second owner was James C. Carleton, a Bonham doctor for more than 40 years, who received his training in 1893 at the Louisville Medical College. The son of Clark Carleton, he married Joanna White and had three children. The Carleton family was a socially prominent one in the Bonham community.
Upon his death in 1931, his widow and daughter May remained in the home, his daughter being the last Carleton to reside there. The present owner of the Clendenen-Carleton House, Dr. William F. King plans to refurbish it to its 1914 condition.
Listed in National Register of Historic Places in 1979.
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.