Dr. E. L. and Nannie Lewis Walker House

Edgar Lathgro Walker of Tennessee wed Nannie E. Lewis, a native of Kentucky, in 1891. The couple later brought their two young daughters, Lena and Alma, to Gladewater to visit E.L.'s brother, William, and they decided to stay. Their third daughter, Bessie, was born in Gladewater in 1898. E.L., a graduate of the Cincinnati School of Medicine, opened a medical practice and drugstore. He purchased this site from W.S. and Sara Austin on October 23, 1895, and he and Nannie completed their new home sometime before 1910. Their property eventually extended all the way to the Sabine River and included several barns, a cookhouse, oil wells and derricks, and oil storage tanks. The Walker House, with its main body constructed of concrete blocks, is Neoclassical in design, with a symmetrical façade, pronounced two-story portico, Ionic columns, five-bay front and pedimented dormer window. The three-story structure also has two concrete basements. Initially intended for use as an infirmary, the third floor space served as an attic with access to a rooftop widow's walk. Original features included ten fireplaces, a two-floor elevator and fifteen rooms. A concrete balustrade, too heavy for use on the second-floor porch, became a unique fence. Changes over the years included additional rooms and the removal of the elevator, donated to a World War II scrap metal drive. Following the deaths of her parents, Bessie (Walker) and husband Otto Staerker lived in the house, which stayed in the family until 1969. Subsequent owners have ensured the house remains a landmark, a link to the Walker family and early Gladewater. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 2004

Dr. E. L. and Nannie Lewis Walker House is a historical marker in Gladewater, Gregg County, dedicated in 2004. It is one of 81 historical markers documented in Gregg County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 124 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 32.5336, -94.9435 near Gladewater. The nearest cataloged historic site is Shepperd, John Ben (historical marker), about 0.1 miles away. Others within a short drive include First Franchised Motor Bus Line in Texas, First United Methodist Church of Gladewater, and Foshee Family.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5183013281. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.