Old D.N. Arnett Home
Colorado City, Mitchell County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Built in 1899 by rancher F.E. McKenzie; Victorian architecture features porch columns with spool trim and decorative wood "awnings" over the windows. Sold in 1900 to A.B. Robertson, rancher; in 1912, to D.N. Arnett, retired manager of the Great Spade-Renderbrook Ranch. After his death in 1934, his son-in-law and daughter, Mr. and Mrs. J.G. Merritt, made this their home. Four generations of the Arnett Family have lived here. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark, 1968.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
This ornate Victorian house, with spool-trimmed porch columns and decorative wooden window "awnings," was built in 1899 by rancher F.E. McKenzie in the West Texas ranching town of Colorado City. It passed among cattlemen before D.N. Arnett, retired manager of the great Spade-Renderbrook Ranch, bought it in 1912, and four generations of his family have since called it home.
Why it matters
The home reflects the wealth and permanence that the open-range cattle industry brought to the West Texas plains at the close of the frontier era.
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Related people
- · D.N. Arnett
- · F.E. McKenzie
- · A.B. Robertson
Themes & tags
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