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W. B. Daniel House 

This Victorian house still has its original gingerbread trim over the porch, its fish-scale shingles, and even some original wall paper in the upstairs bedrooms.  In the early 1890s, the first two rooms of this home were built and then added to as the family grew. Around the turn of the century, one of the upstairs bedrooms was converted into a bathroom, which fascinated many of the local townspeople. 

 The Daniel family came to this area by covered wagon from TN in 1867, less than a year after Hood County was formed.  William Buchannan, “W.B.” was only 10 years old at that time.  The family began farming, but after a few years, W.B.’s father, R.C. Daniel, established one of the first grocery stores on the square.  W.B. took over the business and it operated until 1939.  For a time, W.B.’s son, Harry, also helped him in the store and an apartment was made inside the east side of the house.  While running the store on the square, W.B. also maintained a farm of thousands of acres near Thorp Spring.  He raised cattle and sheep and grew different types of crops.

 W.B. Daniel married Lucinda Allen of Glen Rose.  They had two girls and five boys, tow of the sons died at an early age.  Mr. Lees married Cora Allen, Lucinda’s sister, and they lived in the house at the other end of the block.  While those two families were here, the middle of the block was shared with gardens and outhouses.  The Lees-Bryan House or “Manor of Time” is also on the tour this year.

 After their children were grown and Mrs. Daniel died, W.B. married her niece, Ida Lewis, a widow. She and her daughters then lived in the house with him.  The second Mrs. Daniel also died and W.B. continued to live in the house until his death until 1940.  By that time, Euna Beth, one of the second Mrs. Daniel’s daughters bought the house and was living in it to help care for W.B.  Currently, Jim and Jane Craddock own the house.  Jane is the granddaughter of W.B. and Lucinda.  This house has always been in the family and only had 3 owners to date.

The exterior cypress siding still has the square nails visible.  The knob-trimmed baseboards and most of the other woodwork is original to the house.  Many of the furnishings and heirlooms remain in the house today.  Much of the art work was done by members of the family and some by Mr. Craddock’s mother.  The carpets upstairs were made by the Daniel women and when one developed a worn spot, another was placed over top.  The house was originally heated by wood stoves and one fireplace.  The Craddock’s returned this house to a single residence when they moved from Houston after they retired.