320 W Bridge St.

This historically inspired home was built in 1999 and is a reproduction of owner Connie Jo Duncan’s grandparents’ 1907 Victorian farmhouse. It was built with all modern amenities and materials, but boasts details that give a nod to its ancestry including many items from the original house. It was important to Connie to keep the memories of the old home alive. The bathroom features the original bath sink from when the house was first plumbed in 1949. The den wall is original shiplap from upstairs, and has never been painted. The wooden porch brackets and the exterior and interior layouts were replicated as closely as possible. The original leaded glass front door of the farmhouse is now used for the dining room.

The home is filled with treasures and memories passed down through the generations, including beautiful stained glass windows from Connie’s church. Each item, from quilts made by great grandparents and a bedspread made by Connie’s grandmother, to an heirloom clock and furniture pieces, has a place in the story of this home.

404 W Bridge St.

Although officially listed as being built in 1928, it is believed that this unique home was actually the old dormitory built by the local Methodist church sometime in the 1870s, when they founded the old Granbury College which stood just north of the town square. The home’s historical name, Atticus Hall, pays homage to the school’s first president. Originally a two-story building, it was moved to today’s site in 1911, after the college closed. It was then used as the church’s parsonage well into the 1950s. Legend has it that the second floor was removed in 1939 by a crew that included Albert Porter, the founder of Porter Title Company. A new roof was put on at that time, and interestingly, no stairs existed for many years to come.

The house still maintains much of its original form. The front porch, kitchen flume (now a great bathroom) and wood wall exposed in the living room stand the testament of time, serving many families since the late 1950s, including Charlotte Berry, the owner of local breakfast favorite, Pam’s Cafe. Charlotte can still remember the wooden “Dormitory” sign hanging over the front door when her parents bought the place in 1986. Her father added the little red building on the back of the property for his shop. Later, the house would undergo several remodels and become a full, three suite bed-and-breakfast run by the Kirchner’s.

Today, Mark and Cindy Jackson are working to restore some of the charm and allure of the property, while offering the modern amenities people have come to expect. Using mostly a French country style, they now offer the house as a “guesthouse” to weary travelers through the popular AirBnB website. The little red building in the back has its own style as a southwest retreat for weekend getaways to the famed Granbury Square.

703 Spring St.

This home was built by Hood County Sheriff A.J. Wright, and was later a home for two other Hood County Sheriffs, J.F. Henderson and C.M. Duncan. The original structure, a mid-19th century stone house with a dog-trot plan was a frontier homestead for Wright, who served as Hood County Sheriff from 1873 to 1876. In 1881, Wright sold the property to J.F. Henderson. Henderson, his wife Mary, and their five children resided in the house until 1910. Henderson served as Sheriff from 1898 to 1900.

The longest term owners to date have been Charles M. and Emma Duncan. Duncan was a cattleman and rancher who served as Hood County Sheriff from 1936-1940. Late in 1928, Duncan purchased the Wright-Henderson property and some 50 acres. After the death of Mrs. Duncan in 1969, the house was inherited by their daughter, Mrs. Martha Anne Duncan Ingerson. Dr. and Mrs. Ingerson then began to restore the house to its 1891 appearances.

The home remained in the Ingerson family until 2012, when it was purchased by Brian O. Gaffin, a local architect and long-time resident of Hood County. He, with his wife Kami’s blessing, has worked to restore and protect the home. The west wing is currently in use as Brian’s Granbury office, while the main house is reserved for family functions and various non-profit board meetings.

615 W Bluff St.

Trice and Zollie Casstevens purchased this lot in the Thrash Addition from V.L. Fisher on February 9th, 1946, for $450. They began building their home, while their two young daughters Jane Sue and Carolyn stayed with relatives in Alvarado. Originally, the home was a two-bedroom, one bath home, and included a kitchen, living and dining room. In 1954, the Casstevens expanded and enclosed their screened-in porch to add a second living area and added a master suite and a 1 car garage.

The Casstevens lived in their home until Trice passed away. With the girls grown, Zollie moved to Ft. Worth and rented out the house. In November of 1965, she sold the home to Patrick H. Thrash, Jr. and his wife Christine for $10,000. For the next 30 years, this home changed hands (and personalities) many times. It was a real estate office in the 1970s and much of the home and yard were remodeled to create small offices throughout and parking spaces were created for employees and clients. It became a rental property in the 1980s.

In October of 1995, Ty and Tracie Harper purchased the home from Jim and Nancy Murphy. They have restored the house to the 1954 floor plan and have attempted to maintain as much of the home’s original integrity as possible. True to its mid-century modern roots, the home is decorated with a vintage-retro flair. Visitors say it feels like they are at their mother’s or grandmother’s home. The Harpers have raised their two sons in their beautifully restored home where they hope to live the rest of their lives.

503 East Bridge Street

With a beautiful, ornate square watch tower perched atop its elegantly appointed roof, the Painted Lady is a sight to behold. Built in 1892 (according to best records), this home features Victorian influences with Italianate and East Lake styles.

The Painted Lady, AKA the Daniel-Harris Home, was first home to Robert Randolph Daniel, a Granbury merchant and saloon keeper. He and his family occupied the home from 1892-1899. The home was then sold to William Smith Harris, a prominent furniture dealer and undertaker. Harris was known to surprise neighbors by having funerals at the house when the funeral home on the square had overflow, sometimes leaving the casket on the porch overnight. The Harris family lived in the home until 1930.

The home changed hands several more times over the years, receiving State Historical designation in 1981, and is now the home of Hood County residents, Bob and Julia Pannell. According to original drawings, the home has been added onto twice and renovated inside four times. Many features are original to the home, including flooring in three of the rooms, windows, wooden walls, interior doors, 2 light fixtures, the fire places, and the front door. On the exterior, the intricately detailed woodwork framing the charming porch is two-thirds original, as well as the carriage stone. The beautiful decorations for this home were designed by Glenda Ramsey of Decor & More with the helping hands of several of the docents.

305 N. Baker Street

Construction of this house began in 1940, and its history tells the tale of World War II in Granbury, where building materials were scarce and workers were not readily available. Dr. Robert Walthall, a local dentist, built his house for his wife Mary, and their children. This house was Mary’s dream house, built using plans she found in Holland’s Magazine.
The gables on either end of the Walthall House reflect the influence of two-door revival styles, which were popular in the United States from the turn of the 20th century through 1940. A rock mason from nearby Tolar, Mr. Cockran, laid the rock on the exterior of the Walthall House in a “peanut brittle,” or random pattern and he used large pieces of limestone for the window lentils, arches and sills. The wood trim around the windows and doors in the interior of the house is redwood, shipped from California.

The property Dr. Walthall purchased for their dream home totaled 7 acres, extended north to the railroad tracks, and included Granbury’s old cottonseed oil mill. The concrete foundation walls of the Walthall House are reinforced with scrap metal from old cars. As supplies were difficult to find during the war, the Walthalls couldn’t find metal hinges for the redwood front door, and they lived with heat from their fireplace, limited lighting, and no faucets or attachments for their sinks and tubs.

Current owner, Cindy Peters, lovingly maintains this historic property to this day.