Matthews-Atwood House
Ennis, Ellis County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Pearl C. Matthews purchased this property in 1900 when he and his brother Will, owners of a McKinney department store, opened a second establishment in Ennis. He and his wife Virgie (Thompson) lived in a cottage at this site until 1908 when they constructed the present house. Harry Atwood (1873-1948), a native of Arkansas, purchased the home in 1917. His wife Bessie (Craig) deeded the residence to their son Felix Atwood (1908-1974) in 1955. A Lieutenant Colonel during World War II, Atwood lived here and maintained a law office in Dallas.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Pearl C. Matthews bought this Ennis property in 1900 when he and his brother Will, owners of a McKinney department store, opened a second store in town, and he built the present house in 1908 after years in a cottage on the site. Arkansas native Harry Atwood purchased the home in 1917, and it stayed in the Atwood family for decades. His grandson Felix Atwood, a lieutenant colonel in World War II, later lived here while practicing law in Dallas.
Why it matters
The house traces the arc of a small Texas town's merchant and professional families across the early twentieth century, from Gilded Age retailing to service in the Second World War.
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Related people
- · Pearl C. Matthews
- · Harry Atwood
- · Felix Atwood
Themes & tags
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