White-Pool House
Encyclopedia
The White-Pool House is a historic structure in Odessa
, Texas
, included on the National Register of Historic Places
. It was opened to the public in 1984, and retains many of its original furnishings and some rotating exhibits.
The two-story red-brick house, located at 112 East Murphy Street (east of the downtown Odessa area), was built in 1887 by Charles White and later purchased in 1923 by Oso Pool; it is the oldest surviving structure in the city.
The rooms in the White-Pool House parallel two significant periods of history
: (1) The 1880s
during the pioneer era when it was built and occupied by the White family and (2) The 1930s
during the oil
boomtown
when it was the home of the Pool family. In the back of the house are a windmill
, barn
and other farm buildings, and an outhouse
of handmade blocks dating from the founding. In the barn is a display of permanent exhibits of horse-drawn equipment.
The White-Pool House is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Guided tours for individuals or groups are available; there is no admission charge.
and members of the Quaker denomination, arrived in Odessa, the seat of Ector County, accompanied by their two sons, Wilfred and Herbert.
Lucy had a perceived health need to live in a dry climate like that of West Texas
, and Charles’ grain business in Indiana had failed in the economic stress of the decades following the American Civil War
. The railroad was selling property in Ector County; thus, the Whites came to Odessa to begin their lives anew. Charles and Wilfred operated a general merchandise store at Third and North Grant streets. Charles also planted a pear and peach orchard with the windmill as the centerpiece of the irrigation
system. He grew sorghum
, cotton
, and vegetable
s.
White purchased a section of land near the railroad tracks for $870 and built the Victorian-style house. In 1890, Wilfred White was appointed as only the second postmaster of Odessa, and the next year voters elected him as county surveyor.
Charles White died on June 14, 1905. After Charles’ death, Lucy and Herbert moved east to Mineral Wells
, a mineral springs
area in Palo Pinto County
, Texas.
Four years later, in 1927, petroleum
was discovered in the Permian Basin, and the influx of people into Odessa created a housing shortage. Pool therefore turned the house into a five-unit apartment
building, a decision which required adding bathrooms, closing in porches, and partitioning the rooms. Pool lived in the basement and rented out the upper rooms. Over the next half-century, ownership of the house was transferred between family members, and its condition deteriorated.
Finally, on June 12, 1978, Pool gave the house and six acres to Ector County for historical preservation. Restoration was undertaken between 1979 and 1984. In 1986, the White-Pool House Friends, a non-profit organization
, was formed for charitable and educational purposes to preserve the historical heritage of the house.
Odessa, Texas
Odessa is a city in and the county seat of Ector County, Texas, United States. It is located primarily in Ector County, although a small portion of the city extends into Midland County. Odessa's population was 99,940 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Odessa, Texas Metropolitan...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, included on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. It was opened to the public in 1984, and retains many of its original furnishings and some rotating exhibits.
The two-story red-brick house, located at 112 East Murphy Street (east of the downtown Odessa area), was built in 1887 by Charles White and later purchased in 1923 by Oso Pool; it is the oldest surviving structure in the city.
The rooms in the White-Pool House parallel two significant periods of history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
: (1) The 1880s
1880s
The 1880s was the decade that spanned from January 1, 1880 to December 31, 1889. They occurred at the core period of the Second Industrial Revolution. Most Western countries experienced a large economic boom, due to the mass production of railroads and other more convenient methods of travel...
during the pioneer era when it was built and occupied by the White family and (2) The 1930s
1930s
File:1930s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: Dorothea Lange's photo of the homeless Florence Thompson show the effects of the Great Depression; Due to the economic collapse, the farms become dry and the Dust Bowl spreads through America; The Battle of Wuhan during the Second Sino-Japanese...
during the oil
Oil
An oil is any substance that is liquid at ambient temperatures and does not mix with water but may mix with other oils and organic solvents. This general definition includes vegetable oils, volatile essential oils, petrochemical oils, and synthetic oils....
boomtown
Boomtown
A boomtown is a community that experiences sudden and rapid population and economic growth. The growth is normally attributed to the nearby discovery of a precious resource such as gold, silver, or oil, although the term can also be applied to communities growing very rapidly for different reasons,...
when it was the home of the Pool family. In the back of the house are a windmill
Windmill
A windmill is a machine which converts the energy of wind into rotational energy by means of vanes called sails or blades. Originally windmills were developed for milling grain for food production. In the course of history the windmill was adapted to many other industrial uses. An important...
, barn
Barn
A barn is an agricultural building used for storage and as a covered workplace. It may sometimes be used to house livestock or to store farming vehicles and equipment...
and other farm buildings, and an outhouse
Outhouse
An outhouse is a small structure separate from a main building which often contained a simple toilet and may possibly also be used for housing animals and storage.- Terminology :...
of handmade blocks dating from the founding. In the barn is a display of permanent exhibits of horse-drawn equipment.
The White-Pool House is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Guided tours for individuals or groups are available; there is no admission charge.
The White Era
Charles White and his wife, Lucy, former residents of IndianaIndiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
and members of the Quaker denomination, arrived in Odessa, the seat of Ector County, accompanied by their two sons, Wilfred and Herbert.
Lucy had a perceived health need to live in a dry climate like that of West Texas
West Texas
West Texas is a vernacular term applied to a region in the southwestern quadrant of the United States that primarily encompasses the arid and semi-arid lands in the western portion of the state of Texas....
, and Charles’ grain business in Indiana had failed in the economic stress of the decades following the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. The railroad was selling property in Ector County; thus, the Whites came to Odessa to begin their lives anew. Charles and Wilfred operated a general merchandise store at Third and North Grant streets. Charles also planted a pear and peach orchard with the windmill as the centerpiece of the irrigation
Irrigation
Irrigation may be defined as the science of artificial application of water to the land or soil. It is used to assist in the growing of agricultural crops, maintenance of landscapes, and revegetation of disturbed soils in dry areas and during periods of inadequate rainfall...
system. He grew sorghum
Sorghum
Sorghum is a genus of numerous species of grasses, one of which is raised for grain and many of which are used as fodder plants either cultivated or as part of pasture. The plants are cultivated in warmer climates worldwide. Species are native to tropical and subtropical regions of all continents...
, cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
, and vegetable
Vegetable
The noun vegetable usually means an edible plant or part of a plant other than a sweet fruit or seed. This typically means the leaf, stem, or root of a plant....
s.
White purchased a section of land near the railroad tracks for $870 and built the Victorian-style house. In 1890, Wilfred White was appointed as only the second postmaster of Odessa, and the next year voters elected him as county surveyor.
Charles White died on June 14, 1905. After Charles’ death, Lucy and Herbert moved east to Mineral Wells
Mineral Wells, Texas
Mineral Wells is a city in Palo Pinto and Parker counties in the U.S. state of Texas. The population was 16,946 at the 2000 census. The city is named for mineral springs in the area, which were highly popular in the early 1900s...
, a mineral springs
Mineral Springs
Mineral Springs is the name of several locations in the United States:* Mineral Springs, Arkansas* Mineral Springs, North Carolina* Mineral Springs Township, North Dakota* Mineral Springs at Green Springs, Ohio...
area in Palo Pinto County
Palo Pinto County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 27,026 people, 10,594 households, and 7,447 families residing in the county. The population density was 28 people per square mile . There were 14,102 housing units at an average density of 15 per square mile...
, Texas.
The Pool Era
After Lucy and Herbert White moved away, Wilfred sold the house, which changed hands several times until it was purchased by Oso Pool in 1923.Four years later, in 1927, petroleum
Petroleum
Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights and other liquid organic compounds, that are found in geologic formations beneath the Earth's surface. Petroleum is recovered mostly through oil drilling...
was discovered in the Permian Basin, and the influx of people into Odessa created a housing shortage. Pool therefore turned the house into a five-unit apartment
Apartment
An apartment or flat is a self-contained housing unit that occupies only part of a building...
building, a decision which required adding bathrooms, closing in porches, and partitioning the rooms. Pool lived in the basement and rented out the upper rooms. Over the next half-century, ownership of the house was transferred between family members, and its condition deteriorated.
Finally, on June 12, 1978, Pool gave the house and six acres to Ector County for historical preservation. Restoration was undertaken between 1979 and 1984. In 1986, the White-Pool House Friends, a non-profit organization
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
, was formed for charitable and educational purposes to preserve the historical heritage of the house.