The White Family and the White House

The house, located at the corner of North Lea Avenue and West Second Street in Roswell, is listed in the National Register of Historical Places.

James -- now known as the first J.P. White -- was born in Gonzales, Texas in 1856 and began cattle ranching in the Texas Panhandle with his uncle, Major George Washington Littlefield. J.P., along with his brother Tom and his uncle George, moved his ranching operations to Chaves County in 1881. Here he became involved with agricultural, industrial and civic activities. J.P. died in 1934 at age 76.

Lou was born in 1879 at Taylor, Texas. She and her family, with parents Mr. and Mrs. David Young Tomlinson, moved to Roswell in 1898. Her father was a contract builder and locally built many homes, schools and businesses. Lou married J.P. in 1903 and they had four children. Lou was involved with the area's church, social and civic activities. She lived in this house until her death at the age of 92 in 1972.

The four children of J.P. and Lou -- J.P. Jr., born in 1904, Zoa Elizabeth, born in 1906, and twins Tom and George, born in 1908 -- grew up in this house. The sons continued in the ranching and farming business and, except for George, all of their children raised their families in Roswell. Four grandchildren of J.P. and Lou continue to live in and near Roswell.

The father of Lou White was the contractor for the construction of this home and he did much of the work himself. Construction began in 1910 and was completed in 1912, the year of New Mexico's statehood. The architecture or style of the home is called "Prairie" or "Schooner," a design developed by Frank Lloyd Wright in the early 1900s. That style reflected in this house includes gentle sloping and overhanging roofs, various roof levels and large porches. The roof, originally pressed tin, was changed to red tiles in the early 1920s. The exterior walls are yellow brick brought from Fort Worth, Texas.

Several rooms, the portecochere and driveway north of the house were added in 1916. The third floor that has the archive collection and the basement were added in 1920.

The house has 14 rooms, plus three baths, the attic and basement. Ceilings are 10 1/2 feet high, all woodwork is oak, and the floors are hardwood. The house was steam-heated from a boiler in the basement and also had four wood-burning fireplaces.

During the era the house was built, it was standard for funeral services to be held in families' homes. This house has a four-foot wide casket entry door. It has beveled glass windows set in leaded framework and stained glass windows. Many of the light fixtures were designed for use either by gas or electricity. Many of the house's furnishings and embellishments had belonged to the J.P. White family. Additional donations to the viewing public of southeastern New Mexico now reside in the house.

The carriage house had a small apartment on the second floor for servants, and a hayloft. In the carriage house was kept the Whites' automobile and horses and a milk cow. The cistern, the round tank east of the carriage house, collected water in case the town's water supply failed.

This house, now a museum and home to the Historical Society of Southeast New Mexico, has additional uses. Besides offering glimpses of a gracious lifestyle from many decades gone by, it has archives and archivists available to scholars of local history on Friday afternoons. This antique-filled home is also available for special events -- such as Victorian-era Valentine Dinners.