HomeMy WebLinkAboutHL2001-011. Name
Historic The George E. and Gertie Corbin Hurst House
And/or common
2. Location
Address 404 E. Wall Street land survev
Location/neighborhood G.E. Hurst Subdivision block/lot Lot 2 & E 10' Lot 1 tract size
3. Current zoning
R 7.5 Single Family Residential
4. Classification
Category Ownership Status Present Use
district _ public x occupied _ agriculture _ museum
_x building(s) X private unoccupied commercial park
structure work in progress education x residence
Site Accessible _ Entertainment _ Religious
building x yes: restricted _ government _ scientific
yes: unrestr. _ industrial _ transportation
no _ military _ other
5. Ownership
Current owner: Sue Hurst Lipscomb phone: 817-488-7837
Address: 404 E. Wall St. city: Grapevine state: Texas zip: 76051
6. Form Preparation
Name & title: Susan Kline, consultant organization: Grapevine Township Revitalization Project, Inc.
Contact: Hugo Gardea phone: 817/410-3197
7. Representation on Existing Surveys
x Tarrant County Historic Resources National Register of Historic Places
_ Recorded Texas Historic Landmark
other Multiple Property Nomination Form Texas Archaeological Landmark
8. Date Rec'd:
9. Field Chk date:
for office use only
Survey Verified: Yes No
By:
10. Nomination
Archaeological _ Structure _ District
Site Structure & Site
11. Historic Ownership
owner
significant later owx
12. Construction Dates
George Ellison Hurst
original: ca.1910
alterations/additions: unknown
13. Architect
construction: Unknown
alterations/additions: Unknown
14. Site Features
natural:
urban design: located in a
Condition Check One:
excellent _ deteriorated Unaltered
x good _ ruins x altered
fair _ unexposed
poor
subdivision vlatted in 1948
Check One:
x Original site
Moved (date: )
Describe present and original (if known) physical appearance; include styles) of architecture, current condition and relationship to
surrounding fabric (structures, objects, etc.). Elaborate on pertinent materials used and styl(s) of architectural detailing, embel-
lishments and site details.
The Hurst house is a one and one-half story Colonial Revival style house constructed in ca. 1910. The exterior
of the house is covered with nonoriginal, unpainted wood shingles. The main body of the house is composed
of a side jerkinhead (or clipped) gabled mass with slightly overhanging boxed eaves. The primary elevation
faces north and features two shed roofed dormers on the upper story. Each dormer has two lights. A brick
ridge chimney is above the east dormer. The first story features a full -width hipped roofed porch supported by
four Tuscan style wood columns. The entrance is slightly off -center to the east and is flanked by oval sidelights
and surmounted by a full -width transom. A single window is to the left of the entrance. To the right is one
short window and a larger window is to its right. The porch has a wood floor.
Underneath the gable on the east elevation are paired windows. The first floor from left to right has one single
window, one short window, and a set of triplet windows. The upper story of the west elevation is sheathed
with smaller sized shingles than the rest of the house. Underneath the gables area paired 2/2 hung windows
with vertical lights. On the north end of the first floor is one large window. To the right of the window is a
one-story, side gabled addition. This addition does not appear on the 1947 Sanborn Map. It has one small 2/2
window on the north wall. The west wall has one entrance. Attached to this end of the addition is a flat
roofed carport. The rear or south elevation of the house also has two shed roofed dormers on the upper story,
each with two lights. The first floor has a shed roofed extension with a former screened porch that has been
enclosed with glass. It is flanked by an entrance on either end. To the right of this grouping is one short
window and a set of paired windows.
The Hurst House has a deep setback from the street. A corrugated shed is located in the rear yard. The 1947
Sanborn Map indicates that the property formerly had two outbuildings that are no longer extent. The lot lines
are delineated by heavy vegetation. To the east of the property is a large tract of vacant land. To the west is an
asphalt parking lot for the First Baptist Church.
16. Historical Significance
Statement of historical and cultural sinificance. Include: cultural influences, Special events and important personages, influences on
neighborhood, on the city, etc.
George Ellison Hurst was born in 1868 near Lone Mountain, Tennessee. He moved to Grapevine in 1897.
Known as Ell, Hurst first worked as a carpenter and then began carrying mail by horseback in 1901. He
carried mail for nearly 30 years and retired in 1931. Hurst was active in state and national Rural Letter Carriers
Associations, serving as president of the state association. He was instrumental in getting annuity benefits for
the widows of mail carriers although Congress did not pass the bill until after his retirement.
In 1907, George Ellison Hurst purchased a two and one-half acre plot of land out of the William Dooley and
E. Moore surveys. The land was purchased from E.A. Bushong (presumably the wife of G.E. Bushong, an
early Grapevine pioneer) for $350.
Hurst married Gertie S. Corbin on December 22, 1909. They built the house on Wall Street (then known as
Coppell Road). Ell served as clerk of the First Baptist Church and Gertie was librarian for the Grapevine
Public Library from 1941 to 1958. They were both active in the Garden Club and propagated two new types of
iris. The Hursts had two children, Amanda Sue, born in 1911, and George Ellison, Jr., born in 1915.
George Ellison Hurst passed away in 1945. In 1948, Mrs. Hurst had their property platted into eight lots called
the G.E. Hurst Subdivision (sometimes noted as the Mrs. G.E. Hurst Subdivision). Mrs. Hurst died in 1958.
The house passed to her son, George Ellison, Jr. and daughter Sue Hurst Lipscomb. George Ellison Jr. passed
away in 1975. His widow, Mary Ellen Hurst, deeded George's portion of the property to his sister, Sue Hurst
Lipscomb in 1986. The property remains in the family.
The Hurst House is an outstanding example of an early Colonial Revival style house in Grapevine. The
jerkinhead gables and shed roofed dormers are hallmarks of this style. There were few examples of the
Colonial Revival style constructed in Grapevine during the first few decades of the twentieth century. Many of
the houses built during this era were influenced by the emerging Arts and Crafts movement blended with Late
Victorian styles or were variations of common folk forms.
17. Bibliography
Young, Charles, Ed. Grapevine Area History. Grapevine Historical Society, Taylor Publishing Company. Dallas. 1991
Sanborn Fire Insurance Map, Grapevine, TX 1935, 1947.
Tarrant County, Texas. Office of the County Clerk. Tax and Deed Records.
18. Attachments
District or Site map Additional descriptive material
x Site Plan (Tarrant Co. Tax Record) Footnotes
x Photos (histerie & current) x Other (NR Survey Map. 1947 Sanborn Fire Map
19. Designation Merit
A. Character, interest or value as part of
the development, heritage or cultural
characteristics of the City of Grape-
vine, State of Texas of the United
States.
B. Location as the site of a significant
historical event.
C. Identification with a person or persons
who significantly contributed to the
culture and development of the city.
D. Exemplification of the cultural, eco-
nomic, social or historical heritage of
the city
E. Portrayal of the environment of a
group of people in an era of history
characterized by a distinctive architec-
tural style.
F. Embodiment of distinguishing charac-
teristics of an architectural type or
specimen.
20. Recommendation
The Grapevine Township Revitalization Program re-
quests the Grapevine Historic Preservation Commis-
sion to deem this nominated landmark meritorious of
designation as outlined in Chapter 39, City of Grape=
vine Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance.
Further, the Grapevine Historic Preservation Commis-
sion endorses the Preservation Criteria, policy recom-
mendations and landmark boundary as presented by
the City of Grapevine Development Services Depart-
ment.
G. Identification as the work of an archi-
tect or master builder whose individual
work has influenced the development
of the city.
H. Embodiment of elements of architec-
tural design, detail, materials or
craftsmanship which represent a sig-
nificant architectural innovation.
I. Relationship to other distinctive build-
ings, sites or areas which are eligible
for preservation according to a plan
based on historic, cultural or architec-
tural motif.
J. Unique location of singular physical
characteristics representing an estab-
lished and familiar visual feature of a
neighborhood, community or the city.
K. Archaeological value in that it has
produced or can be expected to pro-
duce data affecting theories of historic
or prehistoric value.
X L. Value as an aspect of community sen-
timent or public pride.
Burl Gilliam, Chairman
Grapevine Historic Preservation Commission
Hugo A. Gardea, Architect
Historic Preservation Officer
Tommy Hardy, Director
Development Services Department
21. Historical Marker
The Grapevine Historic Preservation Commission and the Grapevine Historical Society have a cooperative marker pro-
gram for properties that are officially (individually or located within) designated Historic Landmark Sub -districts. Please
indicate if you are interested in obtaining one or both markers for your property. There is no fee for either of the mark-
ers, however, the Grapevine Historical Society will only fund two (2) of the medallion and text plaque (second option),
per year, on a first come, first serve basis.
Check One:
❑ Yes, I am interested in obtaining a bronze Historic Landmark Plaque for my
property from the Historic Preservation Commission. I understand there is
no fee for this plaque.
❑ No, I am not interested in obtaining a marker for my property.
❑ Yes, I am interested in obtaining a bronze Historic Marker (medallion and
text plaque) for my property from the Grapevine Historical Society.
Below for office use only
❑ Historic Preservation Commission's
Historic Landmark Plaque.
❑ Historic Preservation Commission's
Historic District Plaque.
❑ Grapevine Historical Society's
Historic Landmark Marker.