1927 drastic modifications removed Second Empire elements including mansard roofs, wrought iron spires, and windows. Alterations by W.A. Peters. Exterior restored in 1983. Abandoned in 1979. 1996: Leased by the city of McKinney.
(source)Bad on 'em! The same darn thing happened in Austin.
Masonic Lodge Building and "Reading Room" sign, c. 1900
Pope-Silver Brothers Building, c. 1929, Art Deco
Must have been scandalous in McKinney!
Speaking of being easily offended, on to some Victorians:
Crouch-Perkins House, c. 1887; Queen Anne (Victorian)
Preserved, yet not quite the same. Texas Historical Commission photo from around 1982:
Heck, even the Google maps Street View is cooler:
The Gough-Hughston House, c. 1898; Queen Anne (Victorian)
Phenomenal, I'd say! I think it'd been moved.
Here's the THC pic (from around 1982):
The Heard-Craig House, c. 1900, Queen Anne; architect: J.E. Flanders
Like I mentioned, I got a bit bored with the hunt for the houses on my list, this feeling partly due to the healthy, summer vegetation. I should try to get back to McKinney in the fall when views are less obscured. Alas, this is part of being a photographer - you work with what you have, whether it's the sun (or lack thereof), telephone lines/cables, or overgrown/full vegetation:
So here is the THC Atlas pic of the 1902 Queen Anne, E.W. Kirkpatrick House:
Google maps was pretty reliable this time:
All I could get were glimpses:
I got a good, clear shot of the Kirkpatrick House barn (also 1902 Queen Anne) though:
William B. Largent House, c. 1890; Victorian
According to the Texas Historical Commission's Atlas:
When built in the late nineteenth century, this structure was a massive Victorian dwelling w/ three-story towers at each end of the facade. William B. Largent, a pioneer merchant in McKinney, built the house. A fire in 1935 destroyed much of the upper level, but the ground floor retains much of its original detailing.
Charles P. and Sallie G. Heard House, c. 1893; Queen Anne
The Google maps shot was, again, fairly accurate:
The Aron-Harris House, c. 1889; Queen Anne:
The Google Maps pic, by the way (very reliable):
So after all of that fail (due to foliage), it was nice to find Bill Smith's Cafe, primarily due to its neon sign. This place has been around since 1956, and I've been wanting to photograph the sign since 2005. Obviously, this was on my list:
HUZZAH!
And finally, like the McKinney Inn MOTEL sign, I knew about this sign, but wasn't impressed enough to add to my list of things to shoot. But, again, I was very glad I took the time to get this:
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