This Craftsman Bungalow was built in about 1920 by D. B. Wright (1855-1929), though some sources state the house was built later, in the 1930s (this seems unlikely, as there would have been very little home construction during the Great Depression). In 1933, Wright’s daughter Ruby Wright Newsom (1894-1976) and her husband William B. Newsom (1886-1966) inherited the house, and lived here for over forty years. The Newsom family continues to own the house today, and the current owners are Elizabeth Newsom White and James S. White.
The Craftsman Bungalow was an architectural style which originated out of the Arts and Crafts movement of the late 19th century. In many ways, the Arts and Craft movement was a reaction to the lavish and ornate Victorian style found throughout Europe and North America. The American Craftsman movement was best represented by the American Craftsman Bungalow, which was a very popular style of house between 1900 and 1930. After the Great Depression, the style became unpopular, and was eventually replaced by the Modern style of the 1940s, which included the ever-present Ranch-style house which spread like wildfire throughout the nation in the post-war years.
Craftsman Bungalow houses have several architectural “clues” which are extremely common throughout the style, making Bungalows quite easy to recognize. Virtually all Bungalows are one or one-and-a-half stories, with low-pitched, gabled roofs, and wide, overhanging eaves. Most have a small front or corner porch, supported by square columns. Dormers or other small windows are frequently found at the top of the house.
The Newsom House is a one-and-a-half-story gable-front brick Craftsman, with gable-front porch supported by square posts set on brick piers. The front facade has stucco and half-timber gables. There is also a prominent front chimney.
Hill Country History 