[401 W. Main - G. E. Dilley Building]

Description

Photograph of the front and side of the "Dilley Building," a two-story, brick building located at 401 W. Main in Palestine, Texas. It has a rectangular plan and load-bearing masonry walls with Victorian Italianate-style details, including an elaborately detailed parapet on the façade and the segmental-arched hoodmolds on the second floors of the south and east elevations. It is classified as a Two-Part Commercial Block building, and is part of Palestine’s central business district.

Physical Description

1 photograph : b&w ; 8 x 10 in.

Creation Information

Goebel, Matt February 1993.

Context

This photograph is part of the collection entitled: Rescuing Texas History, 2006 and was provided by the Palestine Public Library to The Portal to Texas History, a digital repository hosted by the UNT Libraries. It has been viewed 859 times, with 10 in the last month. More information about this photograph can be viewed below.

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Palestine Public Library

Located in Anderson County, the Palestine Public Library provides access to information and various programs for the community's benefit. They received a Rescuing Texas History grant to aid in digitization of select materials, including photos taken during a Historic Resources Study in 1991.

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  • Alternate Title: [401 W. Main - G.E. Dilley Bldg]
  • Main Title: [401 W. Main - G. E. Dilley Building]

Description

Photograph of the front and side of the "Dilley Building," a two-story, brick building located at 401 W. Main in Palestine, Texas. It has a rectangular plan and load-bearing masonry walls with Victorian Italianate-style details, including an elaborately detailed parapet on the façade and the segmental-arched hoodmolds on the second floors of the south and east elevations. It is classified as a Two-Part Commercial Block building, and is part of Palestine’s central business district.

Physical Description

1 photograph : b&w ; 8 x 10 in.

Notes

Camera looking: Northwest

Notes

The Dilley Building is a Two-Part Commercial Block building located at 401 W. Main Street in Palestine’s central business district. Fronting south, the 2-story brick building has a rectangular plan and load-bearing masonry walls. Architectural embellishment is characteristic of the Victorian Italianate style, as evidenced by the elaborately detailed parapet on the façade and the segmental-arched hoodmolds on the second floors of the south and east elevations. It is very strongly suspected that it was designed by the prominent architect Nicholas J. Clayton, but this has not been conclusively proven. The building was constructed in 1882 for George Edward Dilley, a prominent citizen of Palestine. The sophistication of its design and the sturdiness of its construction reflect both the type of buildings that were erected in the late 19th century Palestine, and also the wealth and prosperity enjoyed by the Dilley family. George Edward Dilley (G.E.) (1858-1932) was a prominent citizen of Palestine during the late 19th century. He came to the city in 1873 when his father, George Mansfield (G.M.) Dilley, relocated his family from Shelbyville, Illinois. His father was a highly successful railroad-building contractor who amassed a fortune constructing various railroad lines, including the important Houston & Great Northern (incorporated into the Missouri Pacific) line between Houston and St. Louis, built in the 1870’s. Both Dilley’s were partners in the successful George M. Dilley & Son Foundry – an industrial enterprise located nearby (at 601 S. May) which made gray iron and brass castings for the railroad. The G.E. Dilley Building was never associated with the Dilley Foundry itself. Metal work on the building appears to have come from the Pullman Foundry. The building has housed a variety of businesses, but it is speculated that the earliest occupant was a shoe and boot store, By 1891, the building housed the post office and by 1896, a music store had begin operations. It remained there into the 1920’s, while at the same time a music school operated upstairs. By about 1900, a printing shop was located to the rear of the building. For many years, the main part of the building remained vacant. In 1993, a restoration project began that ultimately wasn’t finished until 2006 when the Palestine Chamber of Congress moved in. It has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

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Rescuing Texas History, 2006

Rescuing Texas History is a project that aims to digitize at-risk photographs, maps, artwork, and more. Funding was provided by the Summerlee Foundation of Dallas.

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  • February 1993

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Added to The Portal to Texas History

  • Feb. 2, 2006, 11:05 a.m.

Description Last Updated

  • March 18, 2014, 12:48 p.m.

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  • 31.762196, -95.634608

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Goebel, Matt. [401 W. Main - G. E. Dilley Building], photograph, February 1993; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth9397/: accessed May 6, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Palestine Public Library.

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