Towle House
Snyder, Scurry County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Dr. H. G. and Mary (Ruddick) Towle married in Colorado City in 1905, moving to Snyder to open a jewelry and optical store. The Towles bought this lot in 1908 and had this two-story brick house with full basement built in 1912. The house has colonial revival and craftsman influences, featuring brick walls, porch columns and railings, full-length porch, and dormer window. The Towles added a carport (1927) and enclosed a second-story screen porch as a sun room. Dr. Towle’s civic and professional highlights include helping organize the Volunteer Fire Department in 1911, serving as mayor of Snyder from 1927-47, and president of the Texas Board of Optometry. The home remained in the Towle family until 1956.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Dr. H. G. Towle and his wife Mary came to Snyder soon after marrying in 1905 to open a jewelry and optical store, and in 1912 they built this two-story brick home with a full basement, blending colonial revival and craftsman touches. Beyond his practice, Dr. Towle helped organize the town's volunteer fire department, served two decades as mayor, and presided over the Texas Board of Optometry. The home stayed in the family until 1956.
Why it matters
The Towle House reflects the civic-minded merchant-professionals who shaped early-20th-century West Texas towns from the storefront to the mayor's office.
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Related people
- · Dr. H. G. Towle
- · Mary Ruddick Towle
Themes & tags
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