H.C. Craig Building Historical Marker, Georgetown, Texas

In recent years, Georgetown has established a reputation as one of the nation's leading success stories in the field of historic preservation. One of the earliest Main Street cities, it has developed a preservation ethic and heritage awareness that have far outlived the initial programs and projects. A central element of the community's successful efforts is the courthouse square, the city's first designated historic district. Surrounding Williamson County's 1910 courthouse is a relatively intact town square with structures dating from the late nineteenth century.

The National Register district contains several buildings, including the Makemson-Steele Building and the David Love Store, recently recognized by Texas. Historical Commission as Recorded Texas Historic Landmarks.

One of the landmark structures on the square's north side is the H. C. Craig Building.

It was constructed in 1903 for the furniture business of Hugh Clifford Craig (1850-1938). A native of Chesterfield, South Carolina, Craig moved to Texas at the age of nineteen. It is not known when he settled in Georgetown, but an advertisement in the local newspaper showed he had opened a store on Brushy Street by January 1900. (1)

Deed records indicate that Craig purchased the present store site in 1902.

In September 1903, he signed an agreement with Mrs. Lou Etta Booty, owner of adjacent property, legally correcting an oversight that threatened to encumber the completion of his building. The agreement was necessitated by the fact that nine inches of the wall on the structure's east side extended onto the Booty property. The brick and stone wall, according to the document, was eighteen inches thick... (2)

Newspaper advertisements indicated Craig moved into his new building in the fall of 1903 The cost of new construction evidently took its toll, however, because it did not appear that his inventory was fully stocked until almost a year later. In September 1904, Craig's ads touted the "Big Furniture Store," a structure large enough to accommodate the contents of a 24,000-pound railroad car filled with merchandise. On September 22, 1904, he proclaimed through his ads: "My Stock is Now Complete. (4)

By the end of 1904, however, there were indications that Craig's business might be in trouble.

Despite the promotion of such items as iron beds for $2.50, wicker rockers for $1.75, and wooden rockers for 90 cents, he faced stiff competition from the W. H. Davis furniture store, an expanding company that advertised more frequently and with larger promotions. During the Christmas season in 1904, Craig countered with a large sale, noting: "The price is reduced to close out the large stock on hand to pay my bills." This would appear to be normal commercial rhetoric, except that the announcement was followed by smaller and less-frequent ads. (5)

In the summer of 1906, Craig began promising a major sales promotion that would be detailed in upcoming issues of the local newspaper.

When the time came for the scheduled event, however, there were no ads for the Craig Store. Finally, on November 29, 1906, the "Williamson County Sun" explained the delay with the following headline story: "Davis Buys Out Craig:"

Last Saturday a business deal was effected by which Mr. W. H. Davis became the owner of the large furniture stock of Mr. H. C. Craig on the north side of the square. He, also, rented from Mr. Craig his storeroom (the largest in Georgetown) and will continue the business at the same stand. In addition to this Mr. Davis has rented the lower floor of the Odd Fellows Temple, which he has occupied several years, and will continue the furniture business there, also. With these two large stocks under one management, Georgetown will possess one of the largest and most complete furniture emporiums in any of the interior towns of Texas. (6)

As the article noted, Craig retained ownership of the store building, although he soon moved to Austin.

The new tenant, W. H. Davis (1862-1940), was one of Georgetown's most prominent business leaders. A native of Americus, Georgia, he came to Texas in 1886 .and lived in Bryan before moving on to Georgetown in 1892. He began his business career as a merchant, operating a dry goods business. Later he established his furniture business and built it into the largest in the area. In a sequence of events not uncommon among furniture store owners in small towns, he began selling caskets and eventually became an undertaker. The funeral company he started continues in operation to this day."

W. H. Davis was an active civic leader.

He served on the local school board for 27 years and was president for much of that time. He also served on the city council and as a leader of the Presbyterian church. When he died in 1940, his obituary noted:

Mr. Davis had been in continuous business in Georgetown, possibly more than any other one man. . . His reputation as a businessman is well known throughout Central Texas, and his friends in the state are legion The obituary also provided insight into funereal customs observed at an undertaker's burial service, noting: "Many other funeral directors were present and formed a line from the residence to the funeral car." Davis' survivors include his wife, Ollie Fisher Davis, whom he married in 1895, and five children. (9)