Site of Guitar Mansion

Site of Guitar Mansion (HM1M09)

Location: Abilene, TX 79601 Taylor County
Buy Texas State flags at Flagstore.com!
Country: United States of America
Buy United States of America flags at Flagstore.com!

N 32° 27.001', W 99° 44.36'

  • 0 likes
  • 0 check ins
  • 0 favorites
  • 1988 views
Inscription
John and Laura Hudson Guitar of Missouri moved to Abilene in 1898. John was already a wealthy businessman who owned a number of cotton gins and cotton oil mills throughout Texas, most in towns served by the Texas & Pacific Railroad. He held large farming and ranching interests as well as lucrative Abilene real estate. Laura was a prominent member of Abilene's social and civic organizations and the First Christian Church.
     The Guitars bought property on this site in 1905 and hired an architectural firm from Kansas City, Missouri, to design their new home. Guitar employees erected a Grand Mission-style house with Spanish influences at a total cost of $75,000 in 1910. An arcade of concrete arches beneath an elaborate parapet adorned the front of the house.
     The five-bedroom mansion and carriage house faced the railroad, and the grounds encompassed half a city block. The edifice featured many high decorative details such as crystal and stained glass windows and fine wood and marble interiors. Innovative elements included security lights, intercoms, door bells, a heating system and a bowling alley with an early pin setter.
     The Guitars reared eight children in the house, a showplace of Abilene society and a significant addition to the city's architectural wealth. John died in 1936, and after Laura's death in 1948 the house remained vacant. Vandalism and deterioration prompted the couple's heirs to raze the house in 1964. Pieces of the structure, including a stone griffin holding a guitar, were placed in both museum and private collections in Abilene.
Details
HM NumberHM1M09
Tags
Marker Number12217
Year Placed1999
Placed ByTexas Historical Commission
Marker ConditionNo reports yet
Date Added Sunday, July 19th, 2015 at 10:04pm PDT -07:00
Pictures
Sorry, but we don't have a picture of this historical marker yet. If you have a picture, please share it with us. It's simple to do. 1) Become a member. 2) Adopt this historical marker listing. 3) Upload the picture.
Locationbig map
UTM (WGS84 Datum)14S E 430508 N 3590558
Decimal Degrees32.45001667, -99.73933333
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 32° 27.001', W 99° 44.36'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds32° 27' 0.0600000000001" N, 99° 44' 21.6" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Area Code(s)325
Which side of the road?Marker is on the right when traveling West
Closest Postal AddressAt or near 150 Beech St, Abilene TX 79601, US
Alternative Maps Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap

Is this marker missing? Are the coordinates wrong? Do you have additional information that you would like to share with us? If so, check in.

Check Ins  check in   |    all

Have you seen this marker? If so, check in and tell us about it.

Comments 0 comments

Maintenance Issues
  1. Is this marker part of a series?
  2. What historical period does the marker represent?
  3. What historical place does the marker represent?
  4. What type of marker is it?
  5. What class is the marker?
  6. What style is the marker?
  7. This marker needs at least one picture.
  8. Can this marker be seen from the road?
  9. Is the marker in the median?