| Marker Text |
Charles Franklin (1880-1946) and Ruth (Lynch) Ashcroft (1895-1979) were civic and social Leaders in Sulphur Springs. Charles’ father, B. F. Ashcroft, started the city’s first electric company, later sold by his estate to Texas Power & Light. Charles was also director and vice-president of the Sulphur Springs State Bank, co-owner (with H.C. McGrede) of the local Coca-Cola Bottling Company, and president of the school board. The couple had one son. In 1938, they commissioned prominent Tyler architect Shirley Simons, Sr. to design a home on College Street three blocks east of the square. Simons (1897-1963) designed many significant residences and commercial and public buildings in Tyler, Lufkin and other Texas cities. The College Street parcel was previously the site of the house of druggist Ben W. Smith, built before the Civil War and described as the oldest house in the city when it was razed in the 1930s. Lumber and brick were salvaged to build several houses in Sulphur Springs. A surviving letter from Charles to his sister, Ina, pinpoints the completion of the house, as it records the family moving in on Dec. 23, 1939. Prominent features of the two-story Colonial Revival style house include its full-width front portico supported by six ionic columns, white painted brick veneer, balcony over the front double doors, and east and west extensions with corner quoins. First floor windows have intricate cornices, while those on the extensions are topped by sunburst pediments. The slate roof is pierced by brick chimneys and a central cupola with weathervane. The only modifications have been the enclosure of a sun porch and an additional room added in the 1960s. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark – 2017 |
