Idle Hours, building in Beaumont, Jefferson County, Texas
Idle Hours is a neoclassical building in Beaumont, Texas, completed in 1903 and designed by architect Frank T. Smith with tall columns and symmetrical proportions. The structure features spacious rooms, high ceilings, and simple molding details that reflect early 20th-century craftsmanship and design principles.
The building was constructed in 1903 during an era when grand, stylish homes were being built across Texas. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978, securing its recognition as an important local landmark.
Idle Hours reflects the care that Beaumont residents place on preserving their older structures. The building demonstrates how early 20th-century families expressed their status and taste through orderly, balanced design.
The building sits on Orange Street, a main thoroughfare in Beaumont, and is easily accessible from different parts of the city. Visitors can view the neoclassical facade from the street and walk the surrounding neighborhood, where other historic structures contribute to the area's character.
The house originally served as a private residence for wealthy families and was designed to display their prosperity and fashionable taste. This use of architecture as a status symbol was typical for homes of this caliber in Texas during that period.
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