Friday, September 14, 2012

Wichita Falls Museum Day- Stroll and Roll~ Kell House


This is part 4 of my series on the Stroll N Roll from 2012
Part one ~ Museum of North Texas History
part two ~ The Wichita Falls RailRoad Museum
part three ~ Hotter 'N Hell clubhouse and the Art Gallery


As a reminder, the Stroll N Roll is a yearly event put on by the city of Wichita Falls 
and the Red River Valley tourism Association. 
For one day, we can visit all the local museums and art centers area in our for FREE. 
The city also provides free trolley service to each of the sites. 
This year there were 10 sites available to visit. 
My posts will cover a few of them that the kiddos and I found interesting.

In this post I will cover the Kell House Museum

Kell House Museum
Long considered a visionary and driving force behind the growth of our city, Frank Kell moved to Wichita Falls in 1896 at the urging of his brother-in-law, Joseph Kemp.  The two men were involved in the grain industry, the development of Lake Wichita, the utilities companies, the newspaper, the streetcar system, the railroad, the local college, and much more.  In 1909, Mr. Kell purchased the land on the bluff overlooking downtown and, with his sister-in-law Mrs. Minnie Mae Addickes serving as contractor, he built a home for his family. 
The Kell family home was occupied by Miss Willie May Kell after the death of her parents. When Miss Kell passed away in 1980, the Kell House was purchased and restored by the Wichita County Heritage Society, and the Kell House Museum opened in 1981.
The Kell House is one of the most historically and architecturally significant buildings in Wichita Falls. The Museum features distinctive architecture designed by the local firm of Jones and Orlopp, original family furnishings, textiles, decorative arts, and historic costumes. Guided tours of this local, state, and national landmark provide a fascinating history of this area’s early settlement and of the Kell family.
The Kell Family in 1910:
Left to Right
Back: Joseph, Carrie, Bess, Willie May, Sadie
Front: Mary Jo, Lula Kemp Kell, Frank Kell, Sybil, Emma Frances Stinnett Kemp
picture from this website
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Texas Landmark!
bedrooms
bathroom
kitchen

The kiddos and I had a great time walking thru such an old house and learning about the history of our city!

for more info on the Kell House Museum
Please check out Red River Valley

Thanks for reading!
I hope you enjoyed the tours from Stroll N Roll 2012

1 comment:

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