Newton-Norris House
Crockett, Houston County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Charles M. and Elizabeth Aldrich Newton had this house built in 1899, but lived in it only five years. It was acquired by Willis A. and Alice Parker Norris in 1909, and in 1838, in accordance with Alice's will, the house became a residence for retired Methodist ministers. It served that purpose until 1970. Outstanding features of the house include its front projecting gable wing with cutaway corners and wraparound porch with turned posts and jigsaw detailing. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1990
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Charles and Elizabeth Newton built this ornate house in 1899 but lived in it only five years. Acquired by Willis and Alice Norris in 1909, it later became—under the terms of Alice's will—a residence for retired Methodist ministers, a role it filled until 1970. Its projecting gable with cutaway corners, wraparound porch, turned posts, and jigsaw trim make it a fine example of turn-of-the-century Texas domestic architecture.
Why it matters
Beyond its Victorian craftsmanship, the house reflects a woman's philanthropy turning a family home into decades of care for aging clergy.
Own a business near here? Add it to the map.
Related people
- · Charles M. Newton
- · Elizabeth Aldrich Newton
- · Willis A. Norris
- · Alice Parker Norris
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
Andrew Jackson McGown
Crockett, TX
A Tennessee native, Andrew Jackson McGown came to Texas in 1835 and fought in the revolution against Mexico, taking part in the decisive Battle of San Jacinto. He went on to help plant the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Texas, serving as a pioneer circuit-riding minister until his death. McGown also founded the newspaper "The Texas Presbyterian" and helped establish Andrew Female College in Huntsville.
Lula Demby Dailey
Crockett, TX
Born in the Wheeler Springs community in 1878, Lula Demby earned bachelor's and master's degrees from Prairie View College and came home to teach, becoming principal of the two-room, eight-grade Wheeler Springs School. She worked tirelessly to widen her students' opportunities and, beyond the classroom, helped her community build a canning kitchen, a garden, and a school cafeteria. She lived to ninety-eight and was buried in the family cemetery.
Jane Dotson Lively
Houston County, TX
Jane Dotson Lively came from Alabama to Houston County in 1850 with her husband Thomas, for whom the surrounding community of Livelyville was named. She helped establish a church and school on the family's land and was remembered as a courageous pioneer and community leader. Mother of thirteen and twice married, she lived to be one hundred, dying in 1922.
Spence-Chamberlain House
Crockett, TX
About 1870, the schoolteachers John and Adele Spence built this house in Crockett; after John's death, Adele sold it in 1891 to druggist B. Frank Chamberlain and his wife Una, whose family added a kitchen and bay windows and kept the home until 1978. Its foursquare form, symmetrical windows, and center dormer on a pyramidal roof make it a tidy example of late-19th-century small-town Texas architecture. The house was named a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1994.