The H. B. Combs House
at 1208 Church Street

Built by the Wilbarger Lumber Company in 1911-1912 for Dr. Henry Burris Combs, a prominent local physician, and his wife Dorothy Maude Combs, this house has been described as an "eclectic architectural mix"—a fusion of Neo-Classical themes and elements on the east facade, an essentially Victorian house plan and an interior that at once is both Neo-Classical, in the formal areas and Arts and Crafts, in the less formal areas. A Craftsman fireplace mantel facing into the family dining room and the classical mantel in adjacent front parlor echo this contrast.

The mix may be ascribed to the original owners' tastes but also to the increasing availability of industrially manufactured building components, in standardized patterns and styles, delivered by rail from distant manufacturing sites. Thus local designers, builders, and contractors increasingly had access to building plans and components that might be customized for individual clients.

Dr. Combs was an 1892 graduate of Vanderbilt Medical College and from a family of doctors: his father and four of his brothers were dentists while Henry chose to be a surgeon. In 1913, Dr. Combs married Dorothy Maude Olive, the granddaughter of prominent pioneer Texans Thomas W. and Margaret Wilbarger Chambers. Over the years, Dr. Combs became well established in the Bastrop community and was co-owner of the post office at Main and Pine Streets. He was a director of the Citizens State Bank and served as the bank's vice president from 1909 until 1945.

While Dr. and Mrs. Combs had no children of their own, they took under their protective wing a 13-year-old orphan, Marcario (Mike as he was often called), who worked on the Combs farm, a tract of land behind the Combs house and running south along Wilson Street and west to the Colorado River. When Mike married Encarnation (Connie) Morales in 1913, she found employment in the Combs home cooking and cleaning and helping Mike maintain the property. Mike and Connie had 12 children, each of whom Dr. Combs delivered and was granted the honor of naming—after members of the Combs and Olive families. [See the special exhibit honoring the Juarez family at the Bastrop County Historical Society, also on this year's tour.]

Maude Combs died in 1938; Dr. Combs in 1956. Laura Combs, his sister lived in the house until 1961. Subsequent owners include S.M. and Rosemary Hardt (1961-1966) and O.W. "Happy" and Marie Glenn (1966-1993). The Glenns undertook an extensive renovation of the property, including major changes to the interior floor plan and which also may have included removal of the balustrades from the balcony and roof. During their ownership, the house became listed in the National Register of Historical Places.

In 1993, new owners—the Mark Rose family—undertook another major exterior and interior renovation. Exterior work included reconstruction of the deteriorated front porch and balcony, rearward expansion of the second-floor living spaces, conversion of the north side bay window to a dining room entry and stoop and a new roof. Interior alterations included ceiling, wall and floor surfacing, modern kitchen and bath facilities, and an upgrade of electrical and plumbing systems. Subsequent deterioration of the front porch and balcony prompted a second renovation of those structures in 2005.

Mark and Mary Rose have added at the rear of the house a detached building to contain Mark's library that includes an extensive collection of books about U.S. Presidents. The addition also contains a guest house and home office. Lush landscaping throughout the property is beautifully designed to accent the features of the house and to integrate it with the addition and outbuildings.