HistoricSiteMarkers
Progressive & Modern Era

The Anderson House

Wichita Falls, Wichita County, Texas

Marker Inscription

This Victorian residence with distinctive second floor windows was designed by Wichita Falls architect Joseph C. Pate. Built for local businessman Guy Dewitt Anderson and his wife, it was completed in 1907. A noted civic leader, Mrs. Anderson also served as a commissioner for the Texas Centennial, 1936. Oilman W. E. Connors bought the house in 1918 and lived here until his death 20 years later. Built overlooking the city, it reflects the earlier prominence of the surrounding neighborhood. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1980

Erected by Texas Historical Commission

The Story

Completed in 1907 to a design by local architect Joseph C. Pate, the Anderson House rose on a hill overlooking a prospering Wichita Falls. It was home to businessman Guy Dewitt Anderson and his wife—a civic leader who served as a commissioner for the 1936 Texas Centennial—and later to oilman W. E. Connors, whose fortune reflected the region's petroleum boom. The Victorian residence still marks the former prominence of its neighborhood.

Why it matters

The house captures the confidence of a North Texas oil town in its heyday and the civic role its leading families, including its women, played in shaping the young city.

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Related people

  • · Joseph C. Pate
  • · Guy Dewitt Anderson
  • · W. E. Connors

Themes & tags

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