HistoricSiteMarkers
Progressive & Modern Era

Warren-Futrell House

Gilmer, Upshur County, Texas

Marker Inscription

Inspired by the Prairie School of architecture and the Arts and Crafts movement of the early 20th century, this house was constructed in 1912 for Gilmer civic leaders Daisie Lee (Boren) and James R. Warren. In 1921, the Warrens sold the house to T. H. Glezen, who traded it to businessman Frank l. and lona (Cotton) Futrell in 1934. Significant features of the house include its overhanging eaves with exposed rafter ends and short Ionic columns on the first-floor porch. A significant piece of Gilmer's architectural history, the house remained in the Futrell family until 1989. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 2001

Erected by Texas Historical Commission

The Story

Built in 1912 for Gilmer civic leaders Daisie Lee and James R. Warren, this house reflects the Prairie School and Arts and Crafts sensibilities then reshaping American design, with overhanging eaves, exposed rafter ends, and short Ionic porch columns. It passed through several owners before the Futrell family, who held it from 1934 until 1989. Its careful detailing makes it a landmark of Gilmer's early-20th-century architectural history.

Why it matters

The house shows how national design movements like the Prairie School and Arts and Crafts reached small East Texas towns in the early 1900s.

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Related people

  • ยท James R. Warren
  • ยท Daisie Lee Boren Warren
  • ยท Frank L. Futrell

Themes & tags

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