Thomas House

Thomas House Designed by Dallas architect Thomas J. Galbraith and completed in 1919, this house is an excellent regional example of the prairie school style of architecture. Its strong historical associations with area ranches and with the Ranger Oil Boom lend additional significance to its place in the architectural history of Palo Pinto County. Rancher Randal Burton Thomas, Sr. (1886-1969), grew up in West Texas assisting his mother, Mary Ellen Satterfield Thomas, in running her family ranch. Having first arrived in Strawn from Bowling Green, Kentucky, by 1881, when railroads began to reach this area, their family was among the region's first settlers. The Ranger Oil Boom, begun in 1917 with McClesky No. 1 Well, brought new wealth to the family from the many producing wells on their properties. When Thomas began making plans to move into town, he designed this house with living quarters for his family on the north side and for Mary Ellen Satterfield Thomas on the south side. It remained their home until their deaths. The Thomas House features strong elements of the Prairie Style, with its horizontality enhanced by the use of wide, projecting eaves. Designed to be heated with coal from the nearby mines in Thurber, the house features extensive use of concrete and a red metal roof. Still in the Thomas family at the turn of the 21st century, the house is an important reminder of West Texas history and culture. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 2002

Thomas House is a historical marker in Strawn, Palo Pinto County, dedicated in 2002. It is one of 45 historical markers documented in Palo Pinto County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 53 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 32.5553, -98.4975 near Strawn. The nearest cataloged historic site is Strawn, Bethel (historical marker), about under a tenth of a mile away. Others within a short drive include Strawn City Hall, Stuart, James Nesbit, House, and Strawn, Stephen Bethel.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5363012708. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.