bay city
Historical Homes
The Texas Historical
Marker for the Holman
House reads:
Spanish-American War Veteran And
Matagorda County Judge (1908-1914)
William Shields Holman And His Wife
Louise (Kaulbach) Built This House In
1908-09. Designed By A. W. Large And
Constructed By Contractor H. Speckles,
The House Is An Excellent Example
Of Queen Anne Styling. It Features
Asymmetrical Composition, An Elaborate
Roofscape, Corner Tower, Wraparound
Porch, And Varying Textures On Its Wall
Surfaces. It Remained In The Holman
Family Until 1978.
One of the most photographed homes in Matagorda County,
construction of this Victorian jewel was started in 1908
and completed in 1909. Built for Judge and Mrs. William
Shields Holman, the home is 3-stories in height with a
2-story carriage house in back and occupies a quarter of the
city block.
The house contains 14 rooms, 3 porches, 3 balconies, an
expansive attic, an upstairs hallway, ample closets and 3
original fireplaces. The exterior of the home is of Louisiana
cypress weatherboarding, the interior of pine, with wideplanked pine floors. Metal shingles cover the sharplypitched roof, on which lightning rods with ornamental glass
balls are mounted. While on a business trip, Judge Holman
spotted 2 carloads of Louisiana cypress on a railroad siding.
He bought it on the spot for his new home. Underground
concrete blocks are anchor-bolted to solid pillars of red
brick, 3-feet in height which were designed to support the
house above then recurrent floodwaters. These also provided
strength against hurricane force winds and would provide a
drying/crawl space under the house.
The front entrance of the home faces east and is protected by
a large brick-and-ni