Palestine’s Newest Historic Landmark: the Roundtree House
Palestine, Texas- The City of Palestine has confirmed the house at 1501 West Carolina Street as the City’s newest historic landmark.
In the year 1900, James B. Roundtree was a young builder with a growing construction
business in the booming town of Palestine. Although he was a contractor himself,
Roundtree hired another builder, L. G. McIntyre to build a new house for himself and his
wife Adelia just northwest of the City. The resulting home had an architecture that
integrated different elements into a distinctive, yet simple, design. The wrap-around
porch with jigsawn frieze were characteristic of the Queen Anne style of the 19th Century,
but the simplified detailing and hipped-roof were details that would become increasingly
popular during the first few decades of the 20th Century. By all accounts, J. B.
Roundtree’s business was a success, and by 1904 his name frequently appeared in the
local paper’s society pages. By 1906, he was a member of the building committee for the
new Grace Methodist Church, which still stands at the corner of Kolstad and Queen
Streets. That same year, the Roundtree’s moved nearer the center of town and sold the
home to Eugene and Robbie McCrory. The house changed owners several times in
subsequent years, but through all this time, the original elements that give this house its
charm have been retained.
For more information about the Historic Landmark Commission, or Historic Preservation please contact Jacob Morris at (903) 731-8419.