Orth-Fitch House
Yoakum, Lavaca County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Will Orth, a railroad conductor and the owner of a local flour mill, built this home in 1910. Soon other prominent Yoakum families began erecting homes on Coke Street, which became known as "Silk Stocking Row." Designed by local architect W. A. Fink, Orth's home features characteristics of the Queen Anne and colonial revival styles. Farmer and merchant T. J. Fitch bought the home in 1917, and it remained in his family until 1973. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1983
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Will Orth, a railroad conductor who also owned a local flour mill, built this handsome home in 1910, and soon other well-off Yoakum families lined Coke Street with houses grand enough to earn it the nickname "Silk Stocking Row." Designed by local architect W. A. Fink, the house blends Queen Anne and Colonial Revival styles. Farmer and merchant T. J. Fitch bought it in 1917, and it stayed in his family for more than half a century.
Why it matters
Homes like the Orth-Fitch house mark the prosperity that railroads brought to small Texas towns, where conductors, millers, and merchants built fashionable streets that broadcast a community's rising fortunes.
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Related people
- · Will Orth
- · T. J. Fitch
- · W. A. Fink
Themes & tags
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