612 Earl Garrett Street

1929, Kerr County Historical Commission collection

In December 1924, in response to development that was occurring just outside the downtown area, the City of Kerrville sought bids for street improvements, curbing and paving on Earl Garrett Street. This house was one of a number of buildings going up at that time, mostly in the Craftsman bungalow style.  Many of the houses erected at that time remain. This stretch of Earl Garrett Street today features 80 and 90 year old homes and is referred to as the Garden District.

This is one of those rare instances where we know who did the landscaping. The sepia tone photo was taken in 1929 for Mosty Nursery and Landscaping as a record of their work. While the landscaping is vastly different today, the exterior of the house is little changed over the years.

Dr. J. E. McDonald purchased this property April 22, 1921, for $900 from E. H. Prescott, who had purchased it a year earlier from Charles Schreiner.  While is very likely this Craftsman bungalow was built in 1920 or 1921, I have not been able to determine the exact date and therefore am uncertain whether the house was built by Prescott or McDonald.
Dr. Mcdonald lived here briefly with his first wife Izma. After they divorced she and their son Joseph, Jr., continued to make this their home until he graduated from Tivy High School.  She then moved to San Antonio in late 1941.

Dr. McDonald's second wife, and mother of his second son, Charles Edward, was Lillian.  They also lived in Kerrville.  Dr. McDonald died of a heart attack in March 1940 while in San Antonio.

This house was featured in the December 1998 American Bungalow magazine.