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     The grand dame of Historic Tyler On Tour 2013 has been a prominent Tyler landmark since the late 1800's. At 805 South Broadway, only a few blocks south of downtown, its massive Doric columns and two-tiered porches dominate the neighboring architecture.  In 1895 local businessman June P. Whitney and his wife, Daisy, bought this lot from developer John C. Robertson.  The original home, built for the Whitney's by John I. Portis, was  "to be a seven-room frame house with two halls, two galleries, four gables, and one pantry, brick chimneys, three fireplaces, brick piers and one balcony, according to agreed upon plans".  The cost:  $2500.

      But the Whitney's encountered financial difficulties, and in 1900 sold the house to their next door neighbors, Henry B. and Sarah P. Marsh.  Before moving back to his hometown of Tyler, Marsh had been in Austin serving as Assistant Attorney General under Texas Attorney General James S. Hogg.  Back home he was in private practice with the firm of Marsh, McIllwaine and Fitzgerald and served as Tyler City Attorney.  The Marshes enlarged their new home, moving it further back from the street to provide for the addition of the columns and porches which were major components of their renovation. This completed the Classical Greek Revival style which was said to remind Sarah of her childhood home in Alabama. 

     Henry and Sarah's family ultimately included a son, Bryan, and three daughters, Mittie, Lucy and Sarah.   Both Mittie and Sarah became public school teachers, recalled as favorites by countless Tyler students.  The sisters remained in this their childhood home for the rest of their lives.  The last surviving sibling, Lucy, died in her 90's, marking nearly a century that this family had lived in this landmark home.  For many Tylerites, this property will always be known as The Marsh House.

      When in 1992 Clair and Jerolyn Carden purchased the home it still had its original light fixtures, the five unique tile-fronted fireplaces and heart of pine floors, along with an elevator, installed in 1963, that simplified reaching the basement as well as the upstairs bedrooms.  The full basement included a massive coal fired furnace, and an artesian water well which ultimately would serve the front yard sprinkler system.  A favorite potting table used by the Marshes was still in place. 

      The open beamed attic stretches the full width and length of the house with dormer windows and a large central skylight.  All five fireplaces were originally to be served by one chimney that reaches up through the structure.  The Cardens undertook a variety of renovation projects, attempting to keep their efforts true to the original Marsh expansion of the house.  But, after a dozen years the property was once again put on the market.

     At the time, current owners, Donna and Rodney Goforth were living in a new house on Lake Gladewater with no intentions of moving.  But, in 2004 while visiting in Tyler they saw that this historic home was for sale.

     "We're not impulsive people," explained Donna, "but when we saw this place we fell in love with it and bought it."  Repairs to the columns and porches were placed first on their list of projects.  Inside, the many glass transoms were scraped free of paint, the wood floors were refinished and the fireplaces were closed and fitted with more efficient vent-free gas logs.  Carpeting was removed from the staircase steps to reveal the original wood. 
      The Goforth's 11 grandchildren have explored the coal chute, napped on the upstairs sleeping porches and scrambled up the front and back staircases, reminding this sometimes sleeping old house of the days when the four Marsh youngsters did the same.

    
     On a quiet street near downtown Tyler, a modest 1700 square foot homestead, over time,  would grow to an almost 7,000 square foot house that includes not only a swimming pool and a telescope, but a family-sized bomb shelter as well. 

     The original home at 1903 S. Robertson was built by C. B. Scully in 1936 for newly married James and Dulse Lux Hudnall.  Mr. Hudnall was already a well-known geologist in Texas when he moved to Tyler in the early 1930’s.   Partnering with a close friend, he established Hudnall and Pirtle, Consulting Geologists. 

     As the family grew to include a son, Ogden, and a daughter, Lometa,  the Hudnall's decided they needed more space.   In 1949, the they began working with Tyler architect E. Davis Wilcox to design a major addition which would  include four bedrooms, five bathrooms, a playroom and a sunroom.  The Classical Revival entrance with its four sets of double columns were to remain in place.  In addition, the Hudnall's wanted a full a basement to serve as a fallout shelter, complete with a full kitchen, bedrooms and game room.

     The original living area has a wood and ivory marble fireplace.  Beautiful restored oak floors lead into a large dining area and a kitchen which was updated in the Hudnall remodeling.  The kitchen's 1950's Thermidor double ovens, vintage sink, faucets and Frigidaire stove continue to be used by current owners, Michael and Anna Tidwell.  The bathrooms feature colorful tile and customized built-ins.   Landscaping includes Muscadine grapevines that arch over the pathway into the spacious backyard which features numerous native Texas plants.  A swimming pool was also added in 1950.

      Why a fallout bomb shelter?  Soon after WWII, the Cold War, a period of great international tension surfaced between the United States and Russia.  President Harry Truman announced that the Soviet Union had detonated its first atomic bomb.  The fear of a nuclear attack was very real as many sought ways to survive this possibility. 

 Building fallout shelters became a  fast growing industry.  Plans ranged from $500 to $5,000 to build.  In comparison to the average, the Hudnall’s shelter includes very elaborate accommodations to not only protect the family, but also keep them comfortable for many months. 

      James Hudnall was an avid hobby astronomer who often watched the stars with his family and friends using a large telescope installed on a deck built over the garage.  In 1963, Tyler Junior College built the Hudnall Planetarium, naming it after the Hudnalls who made major contributions to its development.  This facility featured a 30-foot diameter dome for sky projections.  

      A member of the Hudnall family lived in the home until 1993 when the property was sold to Brian and Mary Burch.  Dr. C. Jeffrey Pennell and his wife, Elizabeth, bought the house in 1999. 

      The Tidwell family purchased the house in 2009, appreciating the home’s interesting history, large airy rooms and spacious landscaped yard.  Even today, the original spring well continues to provide water for the Tidwell home and pool. 

Old Bullard Road was always Old Bullard Road, even when it was new!    In 1951, when 23 year old Raymond Edelman and his wife Shirley built their home at 2702 Old Bullard Road in 1952, the area was a hip suburb.  Many Tylerites considered it 'out in the country'. This once very new design choice is now historic and will be a feature, March 23 and 24, of Historic Tyler On Tour 2013 when it is highlighted as the Designer Showcase Home.  

      The mid-century Ranch style was a Post-War American phenomenon, emphasizing a casual, indoor-outdoor lifestyle.   Though the architect of the Edelman home is unidentified, it is influenced by the simplified, yet elegant style of California architect Cliff May, who in the late 1940's originated the Modern Ranch.  Placed among trees at the end of a long, narrow drive, it is clad with a random pattern of stacked ledge stone.   With its low hanging eaves, the house seems to fit comfortably within the natural setting.  . 

      The entry door is set in a wall of glass and features an over-sized, backplate medallion with the signs of the zodiac and sun-faced doorknob, suggesting the unique design treasures in this home.  Living and dining rooms share a double-sided tunnel fireplace.  The den has a soaring, beamed ceiling with skylights and a wall of glass doors opening onto the sunroom with another stacked ledge stone fireplace.  The roomy kitchen with windows across the east wall is a good example of the growing popularity in the 50's of this space as a gathering point for guests as well as family.  Wrap around corner windows are signature features of several rooms.

      After 14 years, the Edelman family had grown to include daughters Patti, Cindy, Debbie and son David when the house was sold to Tyler builder James W. (Chad) Hanna and his wife Jean, who lived here for the following 13 years.  By 1978 this area was fully developed when the home was sold to oilman Burnace M. Smith and his wife Marjorie. 

      When in 2012, this home had reached its 60th year; it was classified as a historic property.  Having been attracted to this unique design, Jeanette and Joel Ross decided to buy it.  Almost immediately the Rosses were asked if they would agree to have the house included on the Historic Tyler On Tour 2013 as the Designer Showcase.  With this, the Rosses and their designers would face a fast approaching deadline with a project that will surely be one of the most popular stops on this year's Historic Tyler, Inc. annual spring tour.

      Overseeing the project with the Rosses are Brandy Jones, Interior Design, and Roger Gardner, Designer Coordinator.  Other designers presenting featured rooms are Roger Craig Designs, Twine, Gray’s Home Fashion Gallery, Hannah Taff Interiors and Sherry Garrett Interiors.