Abilene is a city in West Texas with a rich history. In the beginning it was literally the Wild West with “cowboys, gun fights, and saloon brawls” an everyday occurrence. Oddly enough, it was also a fledgling art scene with “many talented musicians and artists making their home in the city.” Now, it’s a little bit of everything. A thriving city with three private universities and an exceptional Downtown Cultural District.
Now, here’s a home with just as much history as the city itself. It was built sometime between 1905 and 1910, according to the builder’s daughter Joyce H. Greenblatt, who said it took about three years to build. The home sat on an original landholding of 800 acres and the site of Abilene’s Rockledge Farm Dairy.
Greenblatt went on to explain that her father sold the house in 1925 to West Texas Utilities Company with the stipulation that they, the Greenblatts, could keep possession of the home and land for the next 10 years.
She said in 1933, two years until their decade “deadline,” her family moved and the West Texas Utilities Company turned the home into a sort of clubhouse for employees. The Greenblatts were, however, granted the privilege of using the home once a year for a specified time. She said they never did and that’s really where her knowledge of the property ends.
At some point post-1933, the home was returned to a single-family home and over the years it’s been updated exceptionally — using materials and modifications that bring in every convenience of modern day but staying true to the architecture. It’s now a total of 5,250-square-feet with five bedrooms and five-plus baths between the main house and the guest house.
The entry way is marble with an arched stone doorway leading into the main living area. The kitchen is generous with the most unique curved fur down topping creamy white cabinets and black granite countertops.
It’s really a gem with so many custom design touches and, of course, incredible views of nearby Lytle Lake from almost every room on the first floor.
The screened in porch has a plank lined cathedral ceiling and is the perfect place to take in yet another incredible Texas sunset.
In the primary ensuite bathroom, the toile wallpaper covers every corner, including the ceiling. There’s a third floor that would make the perfect home office or playroom with sloped ceilings and plenty of storage.
The house still sits on 1.23 acres – a bit of a downsize from the initial 800, but also much more manageable.
John Hill of Barnett & Hill has 1910 Campbell Drive listed for $1.35 million. As a small historical note about the home, when the West Texas Utilities president acquired the home and transformed into a clubhouse, he ended up leaving an indelible mark on the home as his name was Price Campbell.
