John M. Holman House

Original Owner: John M. Holman

218 North Texas Street

Built: 1913

Mr. John Miller Holman arrived in 1873 and married Eula Pruitt Holman in 1882. They had a son, Ashton Pruitt Holman. However, Eula died in 1890.

John married Sue Russell Hill in 1891. From the 1891 Pittsburg Gazette; “John M. Holman is considered one of the leading businessmen of Pittsburg, esteemed for his moral worth, and the bride is one of the brightest jewels of Mt. Vernon.” They had six children: Christine, Beulah Lee, Harry Hill, Mary, John and Guy.

John Miller Holman and partner Dean had a hardware store. There was a manually operated elevator in 1892 to move items from the ground floor to the upstairs floor. Coffins were among the items stored upstairs. Later the business was Holman & Hall. In 1900 Mr. Holman acquired full interest of the business. Located at 121 Quitman Street, the building and elevator are still in use today.

Mr. Holman was also a banker and an agent for automobiles.

John Holman built fifteen houses in Pittsburg, including one for his son, Aston P. Holman at 334 Quitman Street in 1911, and his own new family home at 218 N.. Texas Street in 1913. The two-story white house is built in the plantation style vs the popular Victorian or Georgian style of the time. It was to honor the southern heritage of Sue's mother who lived there until she passed away. It has two large columns, a balcony, and most of the woodwork inside is wide original growth pine. It was one of the first houses in the area built with an indoor bathroom connected to the new city water and sewer system. The knob and tube and cotton-wrapped wired electrical system was the most up-to-date at the time.

Mr. Holman passed away in the house in 1925, and his business partner took over his portion of the business. Mrs. Holman was left to take in boarders to make ends meet during the great depression. Mrs. Holman passed away in the house in 1940. Her son Guy Holman lived there and raised his family until his death in 1990.