Honaker-Holsonbake House
Farmersville, Collin County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Prominent businessman John Milburn Honaker and his wife Malinda (Bickley) built a Queen-Anne home at this site in 1893. They extensively remodeled the house in 1910 in a Neoclassical style, adding a full second floor and two-story porch with Doric columns and oblong balcony. After Malinda's death in 1913, John wed her sister Carrie in 1917; he died just months after the wedding, leaving his three daughters with his widow. She sold the house to niece Willie (Honaker) and Bob Holsonbake. Known for generously housing area teachers and for hosting special events, the Holsonbake family owned the home until 1977. Today, the landmark is a link to early Farmersville society. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 2005
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Businessman John Milburn Honaker and his wife Malinda built a Queen Anne home here in 1893, then remodeled it in 1910 into a Neoclassical showpiece with a two-story porch and Doric columns. After Malinda's death, John married her sister and died soon after, and the house passed to a niece and her husband, the Holsonbakes, who owned it into the 1970s. The Holsonbake family became known for generously housing local teachers and hosting community events.
Why it matters
The house is a link to the leading families and social life of early Farmersville, and to the small-town tradition of boarding the teachers who educated a community's children.
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Related people
- · John Milburn Honaker
- · Malinda Bickley Honaker
- · Willie Honaker Holsonbake
Themes & tags
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