National Register Listing

McFaddin House Complex

1906 McFaddin St., Beaumont, TX

<p>The McFaddin House is characteristic of the Classic Revival mansions built by Texas millionaires at the turn of the century. Massiveness, the colossal Classic portico super-imposed over a one-story wrap-around gallery, and the concentration of expensive detailing at the entrance are each typical of the period in the state.</p><p>The McFaddin House was built for one of Texas's oldest and wealthiest families. The founder of the family was James McFaddin, who came to Texas from Louisiana in 1833. His son, William McFaddin, participated in the Battle of San Jacinto and the siege of the Alamo and created a cattle and oil empire based on land he received for his service in the Texas Army William McFaddin built a home in Beaumont in 1854. After the house burned in 1905, his daughter, Di Vernon Averill, decided to build 200 yards east of the ruins. The Averills hired Henry Conrad Mauer, a noted Beaumont-area architect (June 6, 1873-July 7, 1939). Mauer was a native Texan, who earned an architecture degree from Pratt Institute. He returned to Texas in 1898 and practiced in El Paso. In 1901, he moved to Beaumont, where he lived until his death. He was best known as a builder of elegant homes and designed residences for M.L. Hinchee, V. Weiss, M.J. Bass, C.T. Heisig, and J.E. Broussard. Mauer built the Averill house in 1906. He framed the structure and finished the top floor so that the Averills could move in. Too late, however, the Averills realized that they could not finish the house, and Mrs. Averill appealed to her brother, William Perry H. McFaddin, to buy and complete it. William P. H. McFaddin was one of Beaumont's wealthiest businessmen. He was born in Beaumont, on February 5, 1856. He attended Texas Military Institute from 1873 to 1874, and a business college in St. Louis, Missouri, from 1876 to 1877. From the early 1870s until his death, McFaddin was identified with the cattle, oil, and land industries of south Texas. was a pioneer railroad builder and oil developer; President of McFaddin, Wiess, Kyle Land Company, which he organized in 1901; and Director of the First National Bank of Beaumont.</p><p>The McFaddins moved into the Averill home and added a conservatory to the breakfast room. They added on to the service room and installed steam heat.</p><p>The home is still owned by the McFaddins, Members of the family have modified the house since 1906; most of the old plumbing has been replaced, and air-conditioning added upstairs. A sleeping porch has been glassed in, and the kitchen modernized. of various outbuildings, such as barns, smokehouses, a carriage house, stables, gymnasium, and servants' quarters, only the carriage house and stable remain, for Beaumont has grown and the McFaddin homestead has been divided into blocks and lots, and sold for residential sites.</p><p>Recorded Texas Historic Landmark 1966.<br><br></p>

Local significance of the building:
Listed in National Register of Historic Places in 1971.