McFaddin-Ward House Museum

✨ Meet the MWH Team – Q&A with Victoria Tamez, Curator of Collections

A native of Corpus Christi, Victoria earned her bachelor’s degree in integrated digital and public history from Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio, Texas, and her master's degree in heritage and museum science from Texas Tech University. She has served as the museum’s curator for the past three years.

Q: What do you enjoy most about working at the McFaddin-Ward House?
A: I love being able to work with the objects and learning a little bit more about their stories and where they fit in the larger historical context. And I enjoy being able to work at a historic house museum where the majority of the objects we have were originally owned by the family.

Q: What’s your favorite object in the Summer 2024 Interpretation?
A: My favorite is a bell-shaped dress in the Pink Bedroom. It has a pink taffeta underdress with a black velveteen band at the hem. It is an amazing piece with a great deal of interesting details that I always love to take a closer look at.

Q: How do you choose your interpretation themes?
A: First, we look at the family’s activities, their pursuits, and their interests during their time in the home and try to figure out a general idea of what we want to focus on. Then, we look back in collections to ensure that we have enough objects to create an installation based on this theme for the house. Finally, once we are certain that it is a viable theme, we then begin our paperwork process and the rest of our house installation processes.

the McFaddin-Ward House grounds span a full city block?

Stop by for a stroll through the gorgeous gardens to see what’s blooming 🌷

Cue the drumroll 🥁

🎉 Our Fall 2024 public programming lineup is here with the return of the museum’s popular Lecture Series, as well as “Music at the McFaddins’” outdoor live music events and our annual Holiday Open House. All events are admission-free and open to the public.

The excitement will kick off with our first lecture on Sep. 12.

Check out our website news story for all the details 👇

McFaddin-Ward House Announces Fall 2024 Public Programming - The McFaddin-Ward House The McFaddin-Ward House announces its Fall 2024 public programming lineup, which will include the return of the museum’s popular Lecture Series, as well as “Music at the McFaddins’”outdoor live music events, and its annual Holiday Open House. All events are admission-free and open to the pub...

We had a wonderful evening sharing the history and beauty of the McFaddin-Ward House with area educators at our McFaddin-Ward House Teacher Appreciation Happy Hour and discussing education opportunities at our historic site and at partner museums, the John Jay French House Museum and Spindletop Boomtown Museum.

Thank you to all who attended! We look forward to partnering with you! 💚

For more information about education opportunities at the McFaddin-Ward House, visit: mcfaddin-ward.org/education

Hello August 👋

Escape the heat this month with an admission-free tour of the historic McFaddin-Ward House decked out with gorgeous summer-themed décor on view during the Summer 2024 Interpretation, “Season of Fun and Sun.” ☀️

UPDATE: REGISTRATION IS NOW FULL.

Thank you so much for your interest! More Homeschool Workshops will be coming up in October, November, and December. We'll post here when registration opens, but more details can be found on our website: https://mcfaddin-ward.org/homeschool-workshops/

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The McFaddin-Ward House Education Department will offer a Johnny Appleseed Homeschool Workshop for ages 5-18 on Tuesday, September 10, from 10 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. in the museum’s Visitor Center (1906 Calder Avenue, Beaumont).

Participants will explore the legendary Tall Tale of Johnny Appleseed and enjoy age-appropriate STEAM activities. Ages 5 – 10 years old will complete an activity on the germination of different apples and a themed art project. Ages 11 – 18 will learn more about the real Johnny Appleseed, discuss ways we can help our neighbors and participate in a hands-on STEAM project to help some in our community.

There is no fee for this event. Reservations are required as space is limited.

Happy International Day of Friendship 💕

One of Mamie McFaddin Ward’s closest lifelong friends was Itasca Pearl “Tassie” Polk (m. Jones).

The girls met during the McFaddin family’s years in their home at 1316 Calder Ave in Beaumont (1896-1907). The Polks lived across the street from the McFaddins, and the children of both households, including Perry McFaddin, Jr. and I.D. Polk, Jr., became fast friends.

The girls remained close friends their entire lives. Hundreds of references to Tassie appear in Mamie’s diaries over the decades – days spent together shopping, making social calls, attending society events, riding around the town, and even enjoying their first lesson in golf together as young women in 1917. Tassie was maid of honor at Mamie’s wedding in 1919, and in 1937, the two women played key roles in forming the Magnolia Garden Club.

📷: I.D. Polk, Jr., Mamie McFaddin Ward, Perry McFaddin, Jr., and Tassie Polk, ca. 1900

📷: Itasca Pearl “Tassie” Polk, ca. 1905

📷: Group photo of a luncheon held by Mamie McFaddin Ward at her family home, ca. 1910s (Mamie is on the back row, third from the left, and Tassie is on the front row, second from the left)

📷: Members of the Magnolia Garden Club, ca. 1937 (Tassie is on the far left and Mamie is in the center)

Our team is honored to have received recognition from the Beaumont Independent School District for sharing the history, art and architecture of the historic McFaddin-Ward House with more than 700 7th graders from all BISD middle schools this past May. 💚

We are deeply grateful for the accolades and are excited to continue the partnership!

📷: McFaddin-Ward House Director of Public Programming Bel Morian and Director of Education Programming Jennifer Lowrance

✨ It’s – where we highlight the Collection’s more than 35,000 original objects ✨

Today is National Aunt and Uncle Day, so we’d like to celebrate by taking a closer look at a few of our favorite pieces Mamie McFaddin Ward inherited from her Aunt Ouida Caldwell Watts.

In 1916, Ouida Caldwell, younger sister of Ida Caldwell McFaddin, married prominent West Virginia businessman Charles Wellington Watts. The couple enjoyed an opulent lifestyle living in Huntington, WV, in a large 1910 Colonial Revival house called Kenwood.

After Ouida’s passing in 1956, her possessions were left to her niece, Mamie. According to oral histories in our archives, Mamie had the objects transported to Beaumont and began incorporating them into her home.

Here are the object details of a few of our favorites currently on display in the McFaddin-Ward House:

⭐️ Electric Peacock Lamp – bird constructed of painted metal with glass beads in blue, green, amber and clear wired together to form the illuminated tail feathers; stands on a black and white marble base; three lightbulbs in back; ca. 1920s (on view in the Blue Bedroom)

⭐️ Victrola – phonograph made by the Victrola Talking Machine Company in Camden, New Jersey; Vernis Martin finish; special cabinet with a horn built inside the box that allows volume to be controlled by opening and closing the doors was created by a furniture maker in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; ca. 1912 (on view in the Pink Parlor)

⭐️ Occasional Chair – mahogany with tall carved back featuring animal finials and animal mask scrolled terminals, x-shaped seat with needlepoint cushion, lion-shaped arm terminals and paw-shaped feet; made by the Robert Mitchell Furniture Company in Cincinnati, Ohio; ca. 1906 (on view in the Music Room)

⭐️ Censer – lacquered bronze with urn shape, stork finial, bird-shaped accents and handles and paw-shaped feet; probably made in Japan for the American market; ca. 1900 (on view in the Entrance Hall)

Be sure to keep an eye 👀 out for Ouida’s pieces during your next admission-free tour!

Today is National Culinarians Day, an unofficial holiday that honors all cooks and chefs who bring great food into people's lives, so we’d like to pay tribute to the McFaddin family’s legendary longtime cook, Louis Lemon. 💚

Originally from Opelousas, Louisiana, Louis was first hired to be the cook at the McFaddin Family ranch around 1915 but moved to the house in the early 1920s. He was well-known for his biscuits and tea cakes, keeping them stored in a cookie jar by the kitchen window. W.P.H. McFaddin was known to stash the famous treats in his pockets to enjoy later at the ranch, and the grandchildren recalled how they would sneak into the kitchen for a tea cake when Louis wasn’t looking.

An exceptionally talented untrained chef said to have all his recipes stored in his head, Louis prepared all meals at the home, including those for the many social gatherings that Ida and Mamie hosted. He was known for being a dapper dresser and for possessing a bit of a temper. Not fond of intruders in his kitchen, Louis would sometimes throw red peppers into the wood stove burners, creating unpleasant fumes to keep people away.

Louis worked for the McFaddins for 37 years, remaining in the family’s employ until his death in 1952. Mamie McFaddin Ward and her husband Carroll, along with Mamie’s brother Caldwell McFaddin, attended Louis’ funeral in his Louisiana hometown, where Caldwell gave the eulogy.

During his years at the McFaddin home, Louis lived in a modest, comfortable apartment on the west side of the Carriage House behind the family home. Today, Louis’ apartment is a featured stop during admission-free tours of the historic McFaddin-Ward House Museum.

🌧 Rainy days are perfect days to visit the historic McFaddin-Ward House.

Stop by for an admission-free tour of all three floors of the lavishly decorated home, built in 1905-06. Reservations are encouraged, but walk-ins are welcome.

We have umbrellas ☂

McFaddin-Ward House Communications/Marketing Manager Sarah Parker, Registrar/Assistant Curator Katherine McAtee and Curator Victoria Tamez recently visited the 12NewsNow Midday Show to talk with Claydra Rhodes about the museum's Summer 2024 Interpretation, "Season of Fun and Sun."

Thank you to all our friends 12NewsNow for helping us get the word out 💚

Summer Fun At The Historic McFaddin-Ward House Sarah Parker, Katherine McAtee, and Victoria Tamez with The McFaddin-Ward House join Midday to preview the museum's latest exhibition titled 'Season Of Sun A...

Happy National Vanilla Ice Cream Day! 🍨

During our Summer 2024 Interpretation, “Season of Fun and Sun,” the Library is set with a vanilla ice cream dessert spread using some of the McFaddins’ gorgeous serving dishes and special ice cream forks.

Vanilla is a classic, but which flavor would want to share on a summer afternoon with the McFaddins?

Our Curator Victoria Tamez and Communications/Marketing Manager Sarah Parker sat down with KFDM News anchor Patrina Adger to talk about the new Summer Interpretation.

McFaddin-Ward House unveils Summer 2024 Interpretation, "Season of Fun and Sun" The McFaddin-Ward House invites the public to travel back in time to experience what Summer with the McFaddins was all about through the museum’s Summer 2024 In

✨ It’s – where we highlight the Collection’s more than 35,000 original objects ✨

Today, we’re taking a closer look at the McFaddins’ lighthouse lamp (ca. 1900) currently on view in the Billiard Room.

Standing at nearly five feet tall, this stunning Art Nouveau sculptural floor lamp is made of bronze, brass and glass and features a scene of a glowing lighthouse and its keeper perched above a stormy sea. The keeper is preparing to throw a life preserver emblazoned with the word, “Esperance,” meaning “hope.”

The lamp is signed “Foretay,” referring to artist Alfred Jean Foretay, born in Switzerland in 1861. Foretay moved to Paris at age 16 to study at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts where he was taught by one of the most prolific and successful French sculptors of the 19th-century, Alexandre Falguière. Foretay became a versatile artist, producing works in bronze, spelter and marble as well as oil paintings.

At the time of the lighthouse lamp’s construction around 1900, electricity was still a recent discovery, having only gradually come into use for lighting in the 1880s and 1890s. Designers were able to be more creative in design than ever before now that they were only constrained by thin wires rather than open flames.

The McFaddins’ lighthouse lamp design is both sentimental and literal. The idea of the home serving as a refuge from the stormy, industrialized urban world was a common Victorian theme. The lighthouse shining as a beacon to those stranded in the urban sea and the life preserver ready to be tossed out to bring them safely to shore are both symbolic of the Victorian concept of home and family.

In 2016, former McFaddin-Ward House curator Sam Daleo and clock expert Dale Hawthorne discovered that the lighthouse beacon, which has a series of rotating lenses like a real lighthouse, runs with a wind-up mechanism requiring a key. The piece has a built-in Geneva stop that prevents over-winding and will run for about a day after being fully wound.

The McFaddins’ lamp is so memorable, it even received special mention in a 1911 Beaumont Enterprise report of a New Year's Eve party hosted by the family. On display in the Library at that time, the lamp caught the eye of the writer with its colorful lights "shining through its tiny windows.”

Be sure to keep an eye 👀 out for the McFaddins’ lighthouse lamp during your next admission-free tour!

The McFaddin-Ward House Breakfast Room in 1909 vs 2024.

Over the course of the McFaddin family’s 75 years calling 1906 McFaddin Avenue home, rooms underwent decorating updates in accordance with national trends and the family’s changing tastes. The Breakfast Room was always intended as an informal dining space for the family and contained smaller pieces of furniture compared to those in the Dining Room. The furniture seen in the room today was acquired in the 1920s from the Berkey & Gay Furniture Company of Grand Rapids, Michigan.

You will also note the ceiling fan was a later addition, replacing a ninth grape cluster-shaped light fixture, which would have given the ceiling an even three rows of three grape lights in 1909.

What other changes do you see? Let us know in the comments!

Summer décor inspiration from our 3rd floor bathroom 💚

Because nothing screams summer quite like a seagull 🏖

in 1949, Ida Caldwell McFaddin and Mamie McFaddin Ward embarked on a weekslong trip to South America, visiting tourist destinations in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Buenos Aires, Argentina; Montevideo, Uruguay; and the Dutch Caribbean island, Curaçao.

On July 15, 1949, the ladies set sail from New York City aboard the S.S. Argentina. Ida wrote in her travel diary:

“Leaving New York for South America July 15’ 1949 – Hot! Hot!! Arrived New York July 13 – stayed at Waldorf – very warm – no fans – Had lunch with Mervin & Julian at The Voisin – nice coffee – Perry Duncan took us to the boat S.S. Argentina – helped us unpack our wonderful flower baskets bon voyage. We ate supper in our cabin as we were all in from heat.”

Her later diary entries describe many of the beautiful places they visited during the trip:

“Copac[a]bana at Rio. Lovely on this most beautiful beach. They have a floor show at The Golden Room, also a gorgeous dining room – I adored the place”

“I never saw such flowers – our drive to Corcovado Mt. was thru a natural forest – The bananas grow wild – also the sultana. The most beautiful drive ever saw. The statue of Christ on top of the mountain (2300 ft) is 450 ft tall all mosaic – superb and awe inspiring.”

Learn more about the McFaddin ladies' travels and see special travel-related objects from the Collection during our Summer 2024 Interpretation, "Season of Fun and Sun," now on view during admission-free tours of the historic McFaddin-Ward House.

Images:
📷: Ida Caldwell McFaddin and Mamie McFaddin Ward (left front) with friends in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, ca. 1949
📷: Ida Caldwell McFaddin (left back) and Mamie McFaddin Ward (right center) with friends in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, ca. 1949
📷: The S.S. Argentina pictured on the cover of The Mooremack News, ca. unknown

in 1874, Ouida Louise Caldwell Watts, younger sister of Ida Caldwell McFaddin, was born in Guyandotte, West Virginia. 🎂🎉

Daughter of James Lewis Caldwell and Mary O’Bannon Smith Caldwell of Huntington, West Virginia, Ouida was educated at the Mary Baldwin College in Staunton, Virginia. In 1916, she married her second husband, Charles Wellington Watts, president of Watts-Ritter, one of the largest wholesale establishments in West Virginia. The couple lived in Huntington in a large Colonial Revival house called “Kenwood,” which is now listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

The book, “Representative Women of The South,” published in 1927, describes Ouida with abundant praise: “Mrs. Watts is a woman of radiant personality and culture, possessing rare beauty and a diversity of interests, which attributes combined make her one of the most prominent and attractive figures in the social life of Huntington.”

Ouida and Ida remained close throughout their lives and frequently paid lengthy visits to one another. During her time in Beaumont, Ouida usually stayed in the McFaddin-Ward House’s Green Bedroom.

✨ It’s – where we highlight the Collection’s more than 35,000 original objects ✨

Today, we’re taking a closer look at the McFaddin ladies’ dazzling dresses featured in our Summer 2024 Interpretation, “Season of Fun and Sun.”

Ida Caldwell McFaddin and her daughter Mamie McFaddin Ward loved clothes, and many photographs in the Collection show the two women dressed in elegant ensembles at the height of fashion. As trends evolved over the first half of the 20th century, Ida’s and Mamie’s style shifted along with the times, following along with the national fashions designed to accentuate the ever-changing ideal female form: the s-shaped silhouette of the Gibson Girl at the turn of the century; the tubular style of the 1910s; the flappers of the 1920s; the curve-hugging, bias-cut elegance of the 1930s; and the conservative, utility dress of the 1940s.

Ida’s granddaughter Rosine McFaddin Wilson shared her grandmother’s love of fashion in her Recollections and Retrospectives (1986), “And how she loved clothes! She had a reputation, as one of her contemporaries put it, for ‘fine feathers,’ an apt phrase for its time when ostrich feathers and egret feathers were the height of fashion. Grandmother had beautiful jewelry, loved rich fabrics, beaded gowns and accessories with each attire.”

The dresses chosen by our curatorial team for “Season of Fun and Sun” invoke the summer season with cooler fabrics and lighter colors. While our records do not indicate which of our McFaddin women wore each garment, it is easy to imagine both Ida and Mamie dressed in these gorgeous gowns welcoming guests to a party at their beautiful home or enjoying a night out on the town.

Object Details:
⭐️ Displayed in Music Room – Green lace evening gown with a bell-shaped silhouette, floor length and short sleeves; matching belt and rhinestone ornaments; ca. 1930s-1940s

⭐️ Displayed in Pink Bedroom – Beige lace dress with a bell-shaped silhouette, full length and short sleeves with heart-shaped detailing; beige satin ribbon with multi-colored velvet inlay; fine pink taffeta underdress with black velveteen band at hem, ca. 1901-1914

⭐️ Displayed in Primary Bedroom – Cream-colored, sleeveless lace evening gown with a bell-shaped silhouette, full length and short train, attached belt with rhinestone clasps; ca. 1930s

Be sure to keep an eye 👀 out for the McFaddins’ dresses during your next admission-free tour!

The McFaddin-Ward House invites visitors to travel back in time to experience summertime with the McFaddin family through the museum’s new Summer 2024 Interpretation, “Season of Fun and Sun,” on view during admission-free tours of the historic home this July through November.

Learn more in our website news story 👇

McFaddin-Ward House Unveils Summer 2024 Interpretation - The McFaddin-Ward House The McFaddin-Ward House invites visitors to travel back in time to experience summertime with the McFaddin family through the museum’s new Summer 2024 Interpretation, “Season of Fun and Sun,” on view during admission-free tours of the historic home this July through November.

A blue sky picture of the historic McFaddin-Ward House to brighten up this rainy day 🌞

Our thoughts and prayers are with those affected by Hurricane Beryl.

✨ It’s – where we highlight the Collection’s more than 35,000 original objects ✨

Today, we’re highlighting the dining table spread featured in our new Summer 2024 Interpretation, “Season of Fun and Sun.”

The McFaddins’ magnificent mahogany dining table (ca. 1895-1900) reflects a relaxing summertime family dinner for six. The table, left bare to showcase the rich wood, is set with cotton placemats, summer plates with floral designs, colorful glassware, sterling silver utensils bearing Ida Caldwell McFaddin’s initials, and a bright, floral center piece.

Object Details:
⭐️ Floral hand-painted porcelain dinner plates, Lantemier & Cie, Limoges, France, ca. 1900
⭐️ Cased and cut-glass wine glasses in multiple colors, ca. 1910
⭐️ Tulip shaped glasses in multiple colors, ca. 1940
⭐️ Cut-glass cordial glasses in multiple colors, ca. 1940
⭐️ Molded, sterling silver salad forks with “ICM” monogram, ca. 1900
⭐️ Molded, sterling silver dinner forks with “ICM” monogram, ca. 1900
⭐️ Sterling silver spoons with “ICM” monogram, ca. 1910
⭐️ Silver and steel dinner knives with “M” on handle, R. Wallace, ca. 1890
⭐️ Porcelain place card holders with bouquet form, ca. 1960
⭐️ Cotton with filet netting placemats, ca. 1930
⭐️ Cotton and lace with cutwork and embroidered napkins, ca. 1940
⭐️ Pressed glass salt cellars, ca. 1890
⭐️ Glazed ceramic compote with applied flowers and gold trim, ca. 1870
⭐️ Candelabrum with cupid figures, Von Schierholz Porzellan Manufaktur, Plaue, Germany, ca. 1910

Be sure to keep an eye 👀 out for each gorgeous object in the dining table display during your next admission-free tour!

From our House to yours, Happy Independence Day!

🌞 Our Curatorial Team has been hard at work readying the historic house for our Summer 2024 Interpretation, “Season of Fun and Sun,” which revolves around travel preparations for a summer trip abroad and summertime leisure at home.

The new room designs and special objects that reflect the theme will be on view beginning this July.

Schedule your admission-free tour today by calling 409-832-2134!

The McFaddin-Ward House has been recognized in Tripadivsor’s® Travelers’ Choice® Awards for 2024! The award honors businesses that consistently earn great reviews, placing them among the top 10% of listings around the world on Tripadvisor.

Thank you to our visitors for the positive feedback and support! We always hope you love our historic site as much as we do. 💚

Please note the museum will be CLOSED on Thursday, July 4th for the holiday.

We will resume normal hours Friday, July 5th.