1300 Grant is currently owned by David & Clydette Holcomb. We purchased the property in the Fall of 1977 and took possession in January of 1978. Several years ago we shared several interesting things about the house which were included in a previous accounting, however, since then we’ve found even more info in recent searches .
First of all a correction needs to be made. A booklet about the homes in West Floral Heights was distributed shortly after the neighborhood association was formed, the build date for this house was given incorrectly as 1923, but subsequent research shows that it was actually built in 1919-20. This is shown by the city directories of those years and the families who were listed as living there. The address given at that time was 1000 Grant since it was on the corner of Tenth & Grant and Tenth Street beginning the 1000 block of Grant. There were few houses in the area at that time, but with the development of Floral Heights and the “lettered” avenues, Ave. A, B, C ,etc, the address was changed in 1938 to 1300 Grant in order to correspond to the street numbering system used on the avenues. The imprint of the original 1000 is still visible above the front steps to the house. I once had an opportunity to ask Ikard Smith if he might know any info on our house since he lived at 1410 for several years. He told me that his father was involved with the construction of our home, but that he (Ikard) was just a child at that time and didn’t really know much more than that.
As far as we know, the house had a dormer on the front which was removed some time prior to 1978. The dormer showed up in an aerial photo of the neighborhood from the mid 20’s. The photo which was part of an exhibit at the Museum of North Texas shows several of the early homes in the 9th & 10th Street /Grant & Tilden areas as well as Morningside addition. The home also had central heat (probably steam) which was original to the house. We’re unsure if there was an A/C unit, but old copper tubing ran from the main house to the garage where there was possibly a cooling tower. Other changes to the original mechanics and appearance of the house have been electrical upgrades, paint color, and remodeling of the kitchen area and baths.
The first family to occupy the home was the Claude Miller family. They were prominent in business and their daughter Jo Besty became the wife of soon to be Governor of Texas James V. Allred. They were married in the house on June 20, 1927 according to an article in the Times Record News 12 May 1980. Jo Betsy, in her later years lived with one of her sons, Dave Allred, at 1608 Hayes. (She and her daughter-in-law would sometimes walk by our house shortly after we bought the property and I regret never asking her about the time she lived in the house with her family).
Another interesting story about this house (verified in the Times Record News) is as follows……Alan Parmer was a member of Quantrell’s Raiders during the civil war. After the war he married the sister of Jesse and Frank James who were also members of Quantrell’s group. After the war they all moved to Texas and the Parmers ranched in the north Texas area, eventually living in Wichita Falls where they became friends with most of the civic leaders. Mrs. Parmer died and Alan moved away afterwards, but he continued to visit old friends in W.F.from time to time. In October, 1927 he was visiting the Kemps who lived at the corner of Tenth & Grant where the Chesterfield apts. are now located. The Kemps had to leave town for business so Mr. Parmer stayed with his friends the Millers for the remainder of his visit. However, during that time (25 Oct 1927) he passed away while at their home. It is said that inside his coat pocket was found a picture of Quantrell to whom he had always remained loyal. Mrs. Kemp also had a pistol which was given to her by either Frank or Jesse James. The Parmers are buried in Riverside Cemetery.
1300 Grant has had many owners throughout the years, however along with the Millers and the current owners, Mrs. Loretta Norwood occupied the house for next to the greatest number of years (1942 -1962). She was a well known realtor who helped in selling the lots and homes in the developing country club section of W.F. She was also recognized as one of the prominent real estate brokers in the state of Texas, dealing in not only residential, but also commercial real estate. Below is a list of all owners and the years they occupied 1300 Grant. For us, it has been a wonderful experience to have this home since 1978 (although there is lots of upkeep) and we hope future owners will enjoy and care for the property when it is theirs. David & Clydette Holcomb
Previous Owners
1919—Marvin Smith: 1921-1937…Claude Miller; 1938-39…Linton Estes; 1940-41…Claude Gilliland; 1942-1962…Mrs. T.A. (Loretta) Norwood; 1963-67…Allen Johnston (from 1964-67 Phi Sigma Kappa rented the house for their fraternity); 1968-78 Elizio Lucero; 1978-Present…David & Clydette Holcomb.