Booth House
Taylor, Williamson County, Texas
Marker Inscription
This house was built about 1880 for Crawford Henry Booth (1843-1937), a prominent local rancher and banker. An unusual local example of the L-plan vernacular form, the house features many Queen Anne details, including an octagonal turret with onion dome roof, polygonal bays, arched windows, curvilinear porch with spindlework balustrade, keyhole windows, and decorative shingle work. The house remained in the Booth family until 1958. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1992
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Built around 1880 for rancher and banker Crawford Henry Booth, this Taylor landmark is an unusual local take on the L-plan vernacular house, dressed in exuberant Queen Anne details. An octagonal turret with an onion-dome roof, polygonal bays, keyhole windows, and spindlework porch trim mark it as the home of a prosperous frontier businessman. The Booth family kept the house until 1958.
Why it matters
Ornate houses like this one show how ranching and banking wealth transformed small Texas towns during the Gilded Age, leaving behind architectural statements of newfound prosperity.
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Related people
- · Crawford Henry Booth
Themes & tags
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