The Charm of Our Historical Home

The Morrow House is one of the oldest homes in Waco and was built for a family in 1886, about 20 years after the Civil War. When I stop to think about that, really contemplate what life was like in Waco, Texas all those years ago, it is almost hard to imagine. In a period of time when they had no electricity and were getting water from a well (which still exists on the property), the builders took extraordinary care to add beautiful detail to a home, which in those days, was in the middle of nowhere as it was the first home built in Sanger Heights. The beauty of our home is that throughout the renovation that took place a few years ago, and continued work, much of the home’s history was preserved while great efforts were made to modernize it for today’s needs.

While walking up the path to the front porch of our home you can see the detailed carpentry work that is hardly ever seen in modern construction. With the high point being a gorgeous classic gable displaying a touch of Victorian ornament, our sweet white cottage makes quite a bold statement. The blend of original lattice work, vintage windows and decorative corbels give the onlooker much to gaze at before even entering the house.

The detail in this woodwork is captivating, and the legacy of the craftsmanship is exactly why old homes should be preserved. Sadly, the labor and cost make this level of artistry almost obsolete in today’s homebuilding market. Our front porch is a sweet treat that completes the front of the house. It is deep enough for rocking chairs, a tiny herb garden and bounties of pumpkins in the fall and vibrant plants year round. What I adore about The Morrow House is that if you walk up to the house 10 different times, you could find a new and charming detail you hadn’t noticed before.

A little better look at the porch and the lattice work.

These custom made wooden shutters are so helpful.

So with all of this charm, what could make The Morrow House a challenge? Well, over the last 135 years home construction has made some great improvements, and with that there has been much progress in understanding what design ideas will present challenges down the road. As an example, if you look closely of images of our home in 2017 and more recent pictures you can notice we have made some minor alterations to the edging of the roof. That flat 10 inch perimeter is architecturally appealing and original to the home, but not at all practical for the wild rain storms of Central Texas. Water would gather and find a spot to come through and end up inside which was very problematic. So, much to our chagrin we were forced to deviate from the original lines of the home and add more slope to the entire roof’s edging. On the other hand, our windows are original, and we have chosen to leave them because they bring so much charm and history to the home. This is challenging because because they aren’t energy efficient but we have found a great work around to help with that by the use of our indoor shutters. These custom wood shutters do a great job of blocking that harsh Texas heat in August which helps us to keep the home cool in the afternoon.

Each decision that is about a home as old as ours must be balanced between function and history. In no way do we want to rob this home of its treasured past, but we must also have it meet our very modern needs. We consider it an honor to be the shepherds of this home during this season and it brings us immense joy to share it with visitors from all over the world.

There’s no house like this in the world, and although it is filled with imperfections, we believe that’s what makes it special.

Next time I will take you through some of the modern and historical elements to the inside of the house, to better explain the blend of function versus heritage and the choices that have made along the way. Until then, enjoy some of these pictures of the outside of our home’s unique elements