Eckert House
San Angelo, Tom Green County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Oscar (1856-1927) and Martha Geissler Eckert (1871-1934), both German immigrants to the U.S., purchased this lot in 1910. Oscar and his brother Henry built this residence, except for the brickwork, completing the construction in 1911. Pressed tin is a dominant architectural feature of the house. It covers the roof as well as ceilings and some interior walls on the first floor. Eckert was a farmer who also worked as a tinsmith, windmill maker, and saloon keeper. The Eckerts had seven children. (1985) Since 1937 this house has been known as the Fairbanks residence. Mr. C. A. (Doug) Fairbanks was a grocer and realtor.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
German immigrants Oscar and Martha Eckert bought this San Angelo lot in 1910, and Oscar and his brother Henry built the house themselves the following year, hiring out only the brickwork. Its signature feature is pressed tin—covering the roof, ceilings, and some interior walls—fitting for a man who worked as a tinsmith alongside farming, windmill-making, and saloon-keeping. From 1937 the home passed to grocer and realtor C. A. Fairbanks, whose name it later carried.
Why it matters
The Eckert House shows how immigrant tradesmen brought European skills to the West Texas frontier, shaping the everyday built landscape of a growing ranching town.
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Related people
- · Oscar Eckert
- · Martha Geissler Eckert
- · C. A. Fairbanks
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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