Building History

The Walker-Thomson farm occupied the entire block before Rector Thomson sold one corner of the block to William Dozier in 1924*.

Designed by Roy Thomas, this two-story brick home was built in 1924 by William Enoch Dozier (1880-1930). Dozier, a former city engineer of Temple, came to Texas with his parents at the age of five from Tennessee, grew up on his family’s farm and became a self-taught engineer. The Doziers raised two daughters in this home.

Following Dozier’s death, his wife Minnie Mahan Dozier resided here until her own death in 1960. Their son W.E. Dozier II sold the home in 1962 to Frances and Worth Beal (1902-1979). Worth and his brother Roy Beal were in business together in fine furniture and design. After a fire destroyed the business, Worth opened the first carpet and floor-covering business in Austin. He later opened Worth Beal Rentals and ran this successful business with his wife for 27 years. Frances and their daughter Lannette Beal lived together in the home. The house is considered English Tudor. Roy Thomas, the architect, never designed the same style of house twice. All of his houses were different styles…..Santa Fe stucco, contemporary, and more. So each house was distinct and never copied. This was considered “his style”. The West Avenue house has a full concrete basement. It also has an attic.

*The block was passed to G.R. Freeman, assignee of D.C. Freeman, in 1859. Ownership was followed by R.D. Carr in 1860, L.D. Carrington in 1863, George W. White in 1863, and James Chandler in 1866. M.H. Bowers purchased the block Nov. 29, 1866 and built a house on the northwest corner of the block. The Bowers family lived here until Mr. Bowers’ death circa 1872, when the property passed to his wife, Mary Maxwell Bowers, who married her husband’s law partner, A.S. Walker Sr. (see Alexander-Thomson House at 1507 Rio Grande). At her death, the block eventually passed to her daughter Mary Belle Thomson and her husband, Rector Thomson, who sold the lot to Dozier in January of 1924.

Significant Persons Associated with Building
1922-1930: William Enoch Dozier (see above), contracting engineer
1962-1979: Worth Beal (1902-1979) was born in Nacona, Texas. He moved to Wheeler, then Tyler, where he opened several businesses. He married Frances L. Moore from Asheville, NC, in 1950 and moved to Austin to join in a fine furniture and design business with his brother Roy. After a fire destroyed the business, Worth opened the first carpet and floor-covering business in Austin. He later opened Worth Beal Rentals and ran this successful business with his wife for 27 years. Frances and their daughter Lannette Beal (born 1954) lived together in the home and continued the business until 1983.