Kell House Museum, also known as The Kell House, is a historic house museum in Wichita Falls, Texas. The house was occupied from 1909 until 1980 by members of the family of Frank Kell, who made a fortune in railroads, flour milling and oil. Kell and his brother-in-law, Joseph A. Kemp, are considered the two leading business promoters of Wichita Falls in the early decades of the 20th century.
In 1896, Kell moved from Bosque County in Central Texas to Wichita Falls. Prior to the construction of The Kell House, the family lived in another residence on Scott Street. Kell purchased the land on the bluff overlooking downtown Wichita Falls, hence the address of 900 Bluff Street. Kell's sister-in-law was the contractor on the Victorian home. [1] Construction of the two-story dwelling began in 1908 and was completed in 1910, after it had already been occupied by the Kell family.
The house is just east of the Central Freeway. Lula Kemp Kell (1866-1957), Kell's widow, remained in the home until her death. The Kells had six daughters [2] and one son, Joseph Archibald Kell (1895-1939), the victim of an automobile accident. [3] Their only unmarried daughter, Willie May Kell (1888-1980), occupied the house until her death.
The Wichita County Heritage Society purchased the property and converted it into a museum that opened to the public in 1981. [2]
On entering the house, one sees a spiral staircase to the top floor. A formal parlor on the left side of the lower floor was used by the Kells only for a few special days of the year; otherwise, it was closed off. This parlor was opened with full decorations at Christmas and for weddings, other special occasions, even funerals. Frank Kell lay in state in the parlor on his death in September 1941. The idea of closing off the parlor for most of the year was intended to reinforce its special significance. One room contains both a small library and a pool table. The kitchen was modern by the standards of that time.
One of the five bedrooms has a red quilt on the bed. This room was occupied by the daughter who had become engaged to marry; this daughter would remain there until the day of her wedding. Her sisters, except for Willie May as it developed, would then occupy that room once they became engaged and remain there until their own weddings. Three daughters were married in the house, the first, Sadie (1886-1960), wed Orville Bullington in 1911; two others chose local churches for their ceremonies. The Kells were Presbyterians though the house coincidentally is across the street from part of the First Baptist Church complex. The wedding receptions were held at the country club. Despite a fire in one bedroom in the 1970s, the house was quickly restored. A second bed in the master bedroom was used for a child whenever the Kells had overnight guests. [2]
In 2011, the heritage society launched a capital campaign to renovate The Kell House in phases over a five-year period. The first phase stabilized the structure of the building itself. The second phase involves exterior repair and restoration. The final phase will bring improvements to the interior of the building. [4]
With original family furnishings, decorative arts, textiles, and historic clothing, The Kell House is one of the most historically and architecturally significant buildings in Wichita Falls. Guided tours are available. [5]
Clay County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2010 census, its population was 10,752. The county seat is Henrietta. The county was founded in 1857 and later organized in 1860. It is named in honor of Henry Clay, famous American statesman, Kentucky Senator and United States Secretary of State.
Wichita County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2010 census, its population was 131,500. The county seat is Wichita Falls. The county was created in 1858 and organized in 1882.
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Ranger is a city in Eastland County, Texas, United States. The population was 2,468 at the 2010 census. Ranger College, a community college, is the second-largest employer in the community.
Wichita Falls is a city in and the county seat of Wichita County, Texas, United States. It is the principal city of the Wichita Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Archer, Clay, and Wichita counties. According to the 2010 census, it had a population of 104,553, making it the 38th-most populous city in Texas. In addition, its central business district is 5 miles (8 km) from Sheppard Air Force Base, which is home to the Air Force's largest technical training wing and the Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training program, the world's only multinationally staffed and managed flying training program chartered to produce combat pilots for both USAF and NATO.
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The Missouri–Kansas–Texas Railway is a former Class I railroad company in the United States, with its last headquarters in Dallas. Established in 1865 under the name Union Pacific Railway, Southern Branch, it came to serve an extensive rail network in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Missouri. In 1988, it merged with the Missouri Pacific Railroad; today, it is part of Union Pacific Railroad.
The Executive Residence is the central building of the White House complex located between the East Wing and West Wing. It is the most recognizable part of the complex, being the actual "house" part of the White House. This central building, first constructed from 1792 to 1800, is home to the president of the United States and the first family. The Executive Residence primarily occupies four floors: the Ground Floor, the State Floor, the Second Floor, and the Third Floor. A two-story sub-basement with mezzanine, created during the 1948–to-1952 Truman reconstruction, is used for HVAC and mechanical systems, storage, and service areas.
Wichita Falls High School (WFHS) is a public school in Wichita Falls, Texas, United States. It is part of the Wichita Falls Independent School District (WFISD) and is one of the district's three high schools.
Bluff Hall is a historic residence in Demopolis, Alabama, United States. The original portion of the house is in the Federal style with later additions that altered it to the Greek Revival style. It was documented as part of the Historic American Buildings Survey in 1936, and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970. It serves as a historic house museum, with the interior restored to an 1850s appearance.
The exposed strata at the surface in and around Wichita Falls are the products of one ancient period of deposition with a modest amount of recent and modern alteration. In all cases, the strata are products of terrigenous (non-marine) environments dominated by fluvial depositional and erosional systems.
Franklin Marian "Frank" Kell, along with his brother-in-law Joseph A. Kemp, was one of the two principal entrepreneurs in the early development of Wichita Falls, Texas.
Joseph Alexander Kemp, sometimes known as Jodie Kemp, was an entrepreneur and investor who along with his brother-in-law Frank Kell is considered one of the modern founders of Wichita Falls, Texas.
Lake Wichita was a large man-made lake of 2,200-acre (890 ha) acres located some three miles southwest of Wichita Falls, Texas. Its creation was primarily the work of the business entrepreneur Joseph A. Kemp, who with his brother-in-law Frank Kell, is considered one of the principal founders of Wichita Falls in the early 20th century. In 1995, the dam and spillway were rebuilt lowering conservation elevation to 976', decreasing surface acreage to 1224 acres at full pool, and leaving average depth of four feet.
The Wichita Falls and Southern Railroad Company was a railroad in operation in North Texas from 1921 to 1954. It was incorporated in 1920 by several investors, most prominently Frank Kell and his brother-in-law, Joseph A. Kemp, both of Wichita Falls, Texas.
The Wichita Falls Railway is a defunct railroad that extended for eighteen miles from Wichita Falls to Henrietta in Clay County in North Texas, where it joined the larger Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railroad, often called the "Katy". The railway was built between 1894 and 1895 by the entrepreneur Joseph A. Kemp.
The Wichita Falls and Northwestern Railway was among several short-line railroads which in the first half of the 20th century extended like the spokes of a wheel from the hub city of Wichita Falls, Texas. Its principal owners were the entrepreneurs Joseph A. Kemp and his brother-in-law, Frank Kell.
The San Antonio, Uvalde and Gulf Railroad was a South Texas railroad company in the first half of the 20th century that linked San Antonio with Corpus Christi, Texas. Chartered in 1909 as the Crystal City and Uvalde Railroad, it was renamed in 1912. Because of its unusual abbreviation, the SAU&G, the railroad was for years thereafter popularly called "The Sausage".
The Judge Sebron G. Sneed House is a historic former limestone plantation house in Austin, Texas, commissioned by Judge Sebron Graham Sneed. It was likely designed by architect and general contractor, Abner Hugh Cook, co-owner of the sawmill where Sneed had purchased lumber for the construction of the house. Cook is most notable for designing the Texas Governor's Mansion in Austin.
Frank Kell Cahoon was am American politician who served in the Texas House of Representatives from 1965 to 1969.