MESQUITE, Texas — A 150-year-old home in Mesquite is undergoing a $500,000 restoration in honor of National Preservation Month.
It is the centerpiece of Opal Lawrence Historical Park, known as the Lawrence house. The legendary home’s $500,000 restoration project includes repairs to siding and window casings, roof and chimney along with full exterior painting, according to city officials.
The home was built in 1874 with three rooms, expanded in 1882 with an additional 14, and is considered to be “a prime example of Texas prairie vernacular styling,” the city said in a press release. Between 1886 and 1900, the kitchen and tower were added, according to the city’s website. It was initially built by the Lawrence family, whose patriarch Stephen Decatur “S.D.” Lawrence, of Maryland, married Mesquite native Louisa Porter. They had three children, one of whom, John Lawrence, served as mayor of Mesquite for three terms (1917 to 1923; 1925 to 1928; 1949 to 1953)…