|
|
|||
|
|
|
1910 Census, Texas, Matagorda County, Palacios,
Main Street Charles Fredric Emmons married Mollie Josephine Fry February 2, 1910 in Matagorda County - D-230
Mollie Josephine Frey Emmons October 25, 1890,
Commerce, Hunt County, Texas - December 6, 1956, Houston, Harris
County, Texas Annie Laura Emmons February 20,
1878 - October 17, 1909 - Palacios Cemetery |
|||
|
Mrs. C. F. Emmons left for Palacios, her future
home.--The Houston Post, Sunday, April 25, 1909 |
|||
|
Mrs. C. R. Emmons and her daughter, Miss
Beatrice, are on the sick list this week.--The Houston Post,
September 26, 1909 |
|||
|
|||
|
Mrs. C. F. Emmons left for Palacios, her future
home.--The Houston Post, Sunday, April 25, 1909 |
|||
|
C. F. Emmons and Miss Mollie Frey were married
Wednesday afternoon, with Squire W. B. Willis officiating. The
wedding was quite a surprise to their friends. The groom is a
prominent contractor in Palacios and the bride is the daughter of
Mr. and Mrs. John Frey.--The Houston Post, February 6, 1910 |
|||
|
Palacios, Texas, March 6--C. F. Emmons has commenced the foundation for his new two-story brick at Main and Fifth streets, after a two weeks' delay due to a shortage of brick. Ed Pasal has let the contract for his brick adjoining the postoffice in Commerce street. C. F. Emmons was awarded the contract and will have the building ready for occupancy by April 15.
D. L. Stump, editor of the Palacios Beacon,
has leased the lower story of the new building being erected by C.
F. Emmons and will move his printing plant into it in May of this
year.--The Houston Post, March 7, 1910 |
|||
|
Palacios Activity Is Great Palacios, Tex., April 24.—Within two weeks C. F. Emmons will complete for Duncan Ruthven a building at the corner of Commerce and Fourth Streets. The ground floor will be occupied by the Regans of Victoria as a dry goods store and by Grant & Cope as a real estate office. In the second story will be offices which are rented to professional men. C. F. Emmons is rushing to complete his brick building on the corner of Main and Fifth Streets. It will be one of the handsomest in the town and will be the home of the Palacios Beacon.
The Daily Express,
San Antonio, Texas, Monday, April 25, 1910 |
|||
|
Palacios, Texas, May 15.--C. F. Emmons has almost completed his handsome building at main and Fifth streets and within a few days the building will be occupied occupied by the Palacios Beacon. The business house is beautifully trimmed with orange colored brick and is constructed of granite brick.
This week Contractor C. F. Emmons began the
erection of the brick building for Duncan Ruthven on the south side
of Commerce street and at the same time began two brick buildings
for A. R. Hillyer. These buildings will be completed by June 15 and
will be occupied by a meat market, a tailor shop and a barber shop.--The Houston Post, Monday, May 16, 1910 |
|||
|
Palacios, Tex., June 5.—The Palacios Beacon has recently moved into the building just completed by C. F. Emmons, on the corner of Main and Fifth Streets. This building is constructed of granite brick laid with black mortar, and its mission finish and deck awning make it one of the neatest business houses in Palacios. Work is progressing on the Ruthven office building, corner of Commerce and Fifth Streets. During the next week the building will be occupied. Contractor C. F. Emmons has about completed the three buildings for Duncan Ruthven and A. R. Hillyer on Commerce Street.
The Daily Express,
San Antonio, Texas, Monday, June 6, 1910 |
|||
|
|
|||
|
Contractor Emmons broke the ground for the
foundation of the girls' big dormitory at the Baptist College at ten
minutes past ten o'clock Monday morning, the first working day of
the year 1911.--Palacios
Beacon,
January 6, 1911 |
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
The elegant modern dormitory for girls for
Palacios college has been completed, and to-morrow contractor Emmons
will turn the keys over to the trustees, the work all having been
finished within the time specified in the contract. Although having
been delayed very much by heavy rains shortly after the work on the
building was under good headway, Mr. Emmons succeeded in getting the
work entirely completed within the time limit specified in the
contract, and for which he is to be congratulated.--Palacios
Beacon, June 30, 1911 |
|||
|
|
|||
|
Petition of C. F. Emmons to be allowed to build a
corrugated iron office adjoining his building granted.--Palacios Beacon, August 11, 1911 |
|||
|
As the townsite of Palacios began to take form, changes were in store for a prominent piece of property on Cary Avenue (later Main Street). Lots 5 and 6 of the original townsite block 24 were sold by Miss Mary Elder to C. F. Emmons in 1914. Emmons was the architect for the structure, while Joseph Pybus was the builder.--Pybus-Koerber House marker narrative.
Pybus-Koerber House
208 Main St
In 1915, builder Joseph Pybus erected
this home, designed by C.F. Emmons. |
|||
|
Since the
adoption of the public improvement enabling law by a vote of the
people here, There has been a wonderful transformation in sidewalk
building and street improvements. Since the adoption of the law
Contractor C. E. Emmons has put in 12,000 feet of cement walk. Most
of this is on Duson avenue, Main and Third streets. Walks on Duson
avenue from the Palacios hotel to the B. Y. P. U. encampment grounds
have been built on all but two lots. But the longest chain of
continuous walk is on Third street, extending from Main north a
distance of six blocks. At the council meeting Wednesday evening Mr.
Emmons was given the contract to put in ten street crossings, and
all alley crossings where needed to join completed blocks of walk.--Palacios
Beacon,
Friday, June 6, 1913 |
|||
|
Palacios Beacon,
Friday, March 20, 1914 |
|||
|
C. F. Emmons and family left Wednesday for
Houston where they expect to make their future home.--The Houston
Post, Sunday, January 17, 1915 |
|||
|
The casualty list for Saturday contains the name of Private Joe V. Emmons, 1719 Washington avenue, as being wounded severely. His parents, Mr. and Mrs. C. F. Emmons, received a notice from the war department last Saturday which notified them that he had been wounded. The announcement in the casualty list was one week late. The family came to Houston four years ago from Palacios where young Emmons was well known. His father conducts a grocery at 1719 Washington, and Joe Emmons helped him in the store prior to enlisting.
Young Emmons enlisted in ambulance corps No. 12
while visiting with relatives in Victoria. His unit then went to
Camp Travis, San Antonio, and was among the first to arrive
overseas. It [He] has been in France 13 months and is attached to
the marines. The young man is 21 years of age.--The Houston Post,
Saturday, September 7, 1919 |
|||
|
Corner of Morton and 5th
Street
|
|||
|
Houston, Tex., Sept. 9,--While playing in an
upstairs window, Robert Emmons, 15 months old, son of Mr. and Mrs.
C. F. Emmons, fell to the ground this morning and was seriously
injured. He has not regained consciousness late this afternoon.--The
Galveston News, Saturday, September 10, 1921 |
|||
|
|
|||
|
Funeral services were held at Ryan's Chapel here at four o'clock this afternoon for Mrs. J. T. Spidle, 47, of Beeville, whose death occurred at the Victoria Hospital at 12:45 o'clock this morning. Rev. A. J. Carson, pastor of the First Baptist Church, conducted the services and interment was in the Evergreen Cemetery. The pallbearers were J. M. Smith, S. Lozano, P. P. Putney, Eugene Tuttle, E. U. Robins and Elmer Bissett. The obsequies were well attended despite the short notice and there were many beautiful floral tributes. Mrs. Spidle, formerly Miss Lottie Elizabeth Frey, was born at Commerce, Tex., June 6, 1884. She and her husband located in Victoria from Commerce in 1917 and a year ago moved to Beeville. She was brought to the hospital here in a critical condition November 3 to undergo a major surgical operation. In addition to her husband and parents, Mr. and Mrs. John Frey of Commerce, she is survived by two daughters, Mrs. J. E. Nabinger of Skidmore, a noted landscape painter, widely known in art circles as Dollie Spidle, and Mrs. A. M. Lee of San Benito; two brothers, Jos. Frey of Texarkana and Chas. Frey of Kilgore, and three sisters, Mrs. R. M. Yarborough of Commerce, Mrs. C. F. Emmons of Houston and Mrs. H. C. Hayes of Victoria.
Victoria Advocate, Thursday, November 18,
1931 |
|||
|
Commerce.--John Frey, 78, resident here more than 50 years, died at the home of a daughter, Mrs. Fannie Yarbrough Tuesday night, and funeral services were held Thursday morning by Dr. J. R. Hickerson and the Rev. T. L. Huffstutler. Interment was made in the Sonora cemetery. Survivors are three daughters Mrs. Yarbrough, Mrs. Hardy Hays, Fannin, Mrs. C. F. Emmons, Houston; two sons, Joe Frey, Commerce, and Charlie Frey, Kilgore; and a brother, Will Frey of Manyrum, La.
The Paris News, Thursday, December 12,
1935 |
|
458 Main Street |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Palacios,
Tex., Jan. 30.—Contractor C. F. Emmons purchased from T. D. Trick
the corner lot on Main and Fifth Streets for $1100. Mr. Emmons will
immediately commence the erection of a two-story brick store and
office building fronting south on Main Street.--The
Daily Express,
San Antonio, Texas, Monday, January 31, 1910 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Palacios, Texas, March 6--C. F. Emmons has commenced the foundation for his new two-story brick at Main and Fifth streets, after a two weeks' delay due to a shortage of brick. Ed Pasal has let the contract for his brick adjoining the postoffice in Commerce street. C. F. Emmons was awarded the contract and will have the building ready for occupancy by April 15.
D. L. Stump, editor of the Palacios Beacon,
has leased the lower story of the new building being erected by C.
F. Emmons and will move his printing plant into it in May of this
year.--The Houston Post, March 7, 1910 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Palacios Activity Is Great
Palacios,
Tex., April 24.—C. F. Emmons is rushing to complete his brick
building on the corner of Main and Fifth Streets. It will be one of
the handsomest in the town and will be the home of the Palacios
Beacon.--The
Daily Express,
San Antonio, Texas, Monday, April 25, 1910 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Palacios, Texas, May 15.--C. F. Emmons has almost completed his handsome building at main and Fifth streets and within a few days the building will be occupied by the Palacios Beacon. The business house is beautifully trimmed with orange colored brick and is constructed of granite brick. This week Contractor C. F. Emmons began the erection of the brick building for Duncan Ruthven on the south side of Commerce street and at the same time began two brick buildings for A. R. Hillyer. These buildings will be completed by June 15 and will be occupied by a meat market, a tailor shop and a barber shop.
E. C. Pasal has completed his two brick buildings
adjoining the postoffice and the front of the postoffice has been
remodeled.--The Houston Post, Monday, May 16, 1910 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Palacios, Tex., June 5.—The Palacios Beacon has recently moved into the building just completed by C. F. Emmons, on the corner of Main and Fifth Streets. This building is constructed of granite brick laid with black mortar, and its mission finish and deck awning make it one of the neatest business houses in Palacios. Work is progressing on the Ruthven office building, corner of Commerce and Fifth Streets. During the next week the building will be occupied. Contractor C. F. Emmons has about completed the three buildings for Duncan Ruthven and A. R. Hillyer on Commerce Street.
The Daily Express,
San Antonio, Texas, Monday, June 6, 1910 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
The elegant modern dormitory for girls for
Palacios college has been completed, and to-morrow contractor Emmons
will turn the keys over to the trustees, the work all having been
finished within the time specified in the contract. Although having
been delayed very much by heavy rains shortly after the work on the
building was under good headway, Mr. Emmons succeeded in getting the
work entirely completed within the time limit specified in the
contract, and for which he is to be congratulated.--Palacios
Beacon, June 30, 1911 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Petition of C. F. Emmons to be allowed to build a
corrugated iron office adjoining his building granted.--Palacios Beacon, August 11, 1911 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
As the townsite of Palacios began to take form, changes were in store for a prominent piece of property on Cary Avenue (later Main Street). Lots 5 and 6 of the original townsite block 24 were sold by Miss Mary Elder to C. F. Emmons in 1914. Emmons was the architect for the structure, while Joseph Pybus was the builder.--Pybus-Koerber House marker narrative.
Pybus-Koerber House
208 Main St
In 1915, builder Joseph Pybus erected
this home, designed by C.F. Emmons. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
History of the Emmons-Cairnes Building By Katie Hutto |
|
I. Context Growth occurred during the early 20th Century throughout the United States due to industrialization. Many started settling in Matagorda County with the prospect of establishing their business, for health reasons, and fertile lands. Matagorda County was and still is a predominantly agricultural and ranching area. By 1901, the estate of Abel H. “Shanghai” Pierce (1834-1900) sold land to W.C. Moore (1857-1943) and a group of men from Louisiana. These men established the Texas Rice Development Company, dividing the land into 160-acres tracts that was eventually sold to the Palacios City Townsite Company. The townsite company advertised land available, a warm climate, fresh produce and more to entice people to move to Palacios. Palacios is located on Tres Palacios Bay along highway 35 between Bay City and Port Lavaca. By 1903, the Southern Pacific Railroad extended its lines to Palacios with train engineer Charles Jacob “Jake” Wilkerson (1869-1936) bringing in the first train. Palacios was incorporated by 1909 and Duncan Ruthven (1869-1945) was elected the first mayor. Ruthven, in a 1931 radio broadcast, encouraged and persuaded people to move to Palacios as it “has a delightful climate, never very cold in winter and kept cool by the breezes from the Gulf of Mexico in the summer.” While advertisements were successful in luring people to Palacios, many did not permanently settle. The architect Charles F. Emmons came to the newly developed town of Palacios with the intent to build many structures and settle in the town. Emmons built his first building on the corner of 5th and Main Street, which later became known as the Emmons-Cairnes building. During his brief time in Palacios, Emmons built numerous structures before relocating to Houston. II. Overview Charles F. Emmons (1870-1945) came to Palacios in 1909 with his wife Annie and his three children Beatrice (1895-1909), Joseph Vernon (1897-1986) and Cecil Charles (1901-1978) Emmons was born in Delaware County, Indiana on September 30, 1870 and he married Annie Laura Thompson (1878-1909) in Navarro County, Texas on October 9, 1894. He was a brick mason, architect, building contractor, and businessman who made an impact in Palacios during his short stay. Tragedy struck the Emmons family with him losing both his daughter and wife in less than a month when the family first moved to Palacios in 1909. After suffering the loss of his wife and daughter, Emmons married Mollie Josephine Frey (1890-1956) on February 2, 1910. By 1915, the Emmons family left Palacios and settled in Houston after constructing and designing many of the buildings in Palacios. The first structure Emmons built was the appropriately named Emmons Building, which was planned as a two-story structure on the corner of Main and 5th Street in 1910. He built the Ruthven building on the corner of 5th and Commerce Street, owned by Duncan Ruthven (1869-1945). Emmons also helped build the Palacios College Dormitory, two buildings for Ausby R. Hillyer (1871-1937), and designed a house for Joseph Pybus (1838-1920). Not only did he build structures, but Emmons also built sidewalks along Duson, Main, and 3rd Streets. Noah L. Hoopingarner (1859-1943) owned the building from 1913-1923. Hoopingarner owned N. L. Hoopingarner Realty Company and operated his company in the Bay View Hotel, according to the May 26, 1911 issue of the Palacios Beacon. In April 1913, Hoopingarner was elected as an alderman, according to the Palacios Beacon. He was also a realtor, businessman and farmer. In 1923 Hoopingarner sold the building to John Richard Rowles (1847-1933), who owned it for 2 years before selling it to Dr. Alfred Byron Cairnes (1867-1936). Dr. Cairnes and his family moved to Palacios in 1914 where he practiced dentistry for over 20 years. His dental office was on the second floor of the R. J. Hill Building which was located on the corner of 4th and Commerce Street. Dr. Cairnes passed away in 1936. His wife, Eva Cairnes (1875-1952), inherited the building, and after her death, their son John Cairnes (1896-1962) inherited the building. Members of the Cairnes Family maintained ownership of the building until 1980. Because of the Cairnes family’s long-time ownership of the Emmons building, it became commonly known as the Cairnes building. There were three additional owners between 1980 and 1997. That same year, Winfree and Don Earl “Donnie” Horton (1930-2006) purchased the building. Winfrey Horton, sold to Michael and Nancy Dotson in 2017. The Palacios Beacon was the first business to occupy the newly built Emmons Building. David L. Stump (1858-1934) was the editor and owner of the Palacios Beacon in 1909. The masthead on the Palacios Beacon depicted a “lighthouse rising from the center of the Texas coast, with words ‘Palacios Beacon’ radiating on the light beams on each side of the lighthouse.” Every edition of the Palacios Beacon from 1910 to 1915 listed their address as “Office Emmons Building. Corner Main and Fifth Streets.” The Palacios Beacon operated the newspaper in this building for a few years before relocating in 1915 to the Pybus Building, just a few buildings down from the Emmons Building, and Stump sold the Palacios Beacon to T. L. Tucker. After the Palacios Beacon relocated, a furniture store occupied the building on Fifth and Main. The Emmons building became known as the Hoopingarner building during N. L. Hoopingarner’s ownership. James W. Stewart’s (1867-1963) business, Stewart’s Furniture Store, occupied the building in 1919 then again in 1922. Stewart was known as the “Furniture Man,” according to the Palacios Beacon. In the November 1922 Palacios Beacon, “Mr. K. F. Ovenhaus, of Elkhart, Kansas, has purchased the Hoopingarner Building on Main, and writes that he may occupy it himself.” The Post Office occupied the building between the mid-1920s and 1960s. Grace Menefee Barnett (1889-1972) became the first woman postmaster in 1933 serving until she retired in 1959. The Post Office sustained damage in 1934, according to the Palacios Beacon, “when top of the front wall toppled over, tearing down the awning and breaking one of the front plate glass windows. This damage is estimated about $500.” During World War II, mail was delivered to Camp Hulen air base before being transported to the Post Office. In February 1941, construction of the post office at Camp Hulen was completed and opened to military personnel. In the Camp Hulen Searchlight, civilians applying for civil service jobs at Camp Hulen were required to apply at the Palacios Post Office. On August 29-30, 1942, the Emmons-Cairnes Building suffered extensive damage from a hurricane, as did many other structures in Palacios. The damage was repaired and the post office was soon back in service. By the 1960s, a new post office was built on Commerce Street. During the 1960s several different businesses operated in the Emmons-Cairnes Building. In September 1961, Hurricane Carla ripped through Palacios damaging many structures including the Emmons-Cairnes Building. The “Ben Franklin Store” operated in the Emmons-Cairnes building according to an advertisement in the 1967 Palacios Beacon. In the 1974 Palacios Beacon, an advertisement supporting the Palacios Sharks Football team for “Pittman’s Variety” was printed. “Phil’s Shell Shop” operated in the Emmons-Cairnes Building between 1980 and 1983. In 1997, “D’s Market Place” operated there for many years before closing in 2002. The building remained unoccupied before being sold to Nancy and Michael Dotson who renovated the structure to become a café and their private home. In 2018, the Dotsons opened “Mike’s on Main” serving coffee, breakfast, and lunch along with ice cream and smoothies. Cosmetic changes to the façade were made by new owners throughout the years. The Houston Post stated, “The business house is beautifully trimmed with orange colored brick and is constructed of granite brick.” When it was the Post Office, it had the words “Reserved for U.S. Mail Cars” painted on the side facing 5th Street. A sheet metal awning spanned the front and a portion of the West side. Between 1980 and 1983, the front façade was covered with a yellow panel which displayed the “Phil’s Shell Shop” sign flanked by two large seahorses. In the 1990s, the exterior brick was painted gray, and trimmed in white. There were green awnings in the front of the building and the window on 5th Street was enclosed. By 2018, the exterior was painted a blue gray color with white trim. The awning and window trim were a maroon color. In 2020, the windows were covered with UV film to help reduce outside heat and a mural with the words “Mike’s on Main” was painted on the 5th Street side of the building. The one-story Emmons-Cairnes building retains some of its original 1910 architectural features. III. Historical Significance
The Emmons-Cairnes Building still stands at 458 Main Street as a
testament to those who helped build Palacios. Despite sustaining
damage by several hurricanes throughout the years, the building
was repaired and continues to function as a business and home.
Charles F. Emmons left a permanent mark in terms of the many
structures he designed and constructed in Palacios. The
architectural landscape of Palacios would be significantly
different without his contributions. |