A. J. Warren Building
O'Donnell, Lynn County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Farmer and rancher A. J. Warren (1870-1933) moved to this area in 1902 and helped to organize Lynn County in 1903. He built this 2-story brick and concrete edifice in 1925 to house the First National Bank, chartered that year. Competition from another bank led to merger of the two and abandonment of this building in 1926. Various stores and offices occupied the structure before it was acquired by the city of O'Donnell in 1973. It became the O'Donnell Museum in 1974. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1975
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Farmer-rancher A. J. Warren helped organize Lynn County in 1903 and, in 1925, built this two-story brick-and-concrete building to house the newly chartered First National Bank. Competition drove a merger and the bank's closure within a year, after which the building served a succession of stores and offices until the city acquired it and opened the O'Donnell Museum here in 1974.
Why it matters
The building's short life as a bank and long second act as a museum trace the boom, consolidation, and preservation cycle of small West Texas farm towns.
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Related people
- · A. J. Warren
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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