Kone-Yarbrough House
San Marcos, Hays County, Texas
Marker Inscription
This Victorian residence with its unusual central chimney was erected in 1886 for the growing family of Sam R. Kone, Jr. (1855-1941), a successful merchant, active Mason, and member of the San Marcos City Council, 1914-15. His wife Laura (Smith) (1859-1937) taught art at Coronal Institute before her marriage. Educator florence Kone (1883-1971), one of six Kone children, lived here 80 years. Mr. and Mrs. Herbert a. Yarbrough, Jr., also owned, occupied, and preserved the home. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1977
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
This Victorian home with its distinctive central chimney rose in 1886 for the family of merchant Sam R. Kone, Jr., a San Marcos businessman, Mason, and city councilman. His wife Laura had taught art at the local Coronal Institute, and their daughter Florence, an educator, spent an extraordinary eighty years under its roof. Later stewards, the Yarbroughs, carried the house's preservation into a new generation.
Why it matters
Homes like this one preserve the texture of small-town Gilded Age Texas, where merchants, teachers, and civic leaders built the institutions that turned frontier settlements into lasting communities.
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Related people
- · Sam R. Kone, Jr.
- · Laura Smith Kone
- · Florence Kone
Themes & tags
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