ODESSA, Texas (KMID/KPEJ)- Located at 112 E, Murphy Street, the White-Pool House is a historic cornerstone of Odessa History. It is the oldest remaining structure in Ector County, built in 1887, and has been restored to its original state. The House represents the two dominant eras of Odessa’s history: the pioneer and the oil boom eras.
The two-story house was constructed by Charles and Lucy White, along with their two sons, in what is now South Odessa. The Whites were a Quaker family who had come to the barren West Texas from Indiana in the mid 1880s.
Their grain business in Indiana had suffered heavily in the post-Civil War era, which, in conjunction with Lucy’s need for a dry climate, led to the family loading their belongings onto a railcar and beginning their journey west, attracted by the railroad land company’s offer of property in Ector County.
After Charles’ death on June 14, 1905, Lucy moved with her son, Herbert, to Mineral Wells, Texas.
The house had several different owners until it was obtained by Oso Pool in 1923. With oil being discovered in the county in 1927, and a tremendous influx of people causing a housing shortage, Oso Pool turned the home into an apartment building. Through extensive remodeling, Pool created a five-unit apartment house from the original White’s home.
Over the next 50 years, the ownership of the house was transferred between 2 family members, before Oso Pool decided to give the house, and six acres of land to Ector County for historical preservation. The donation was accepted by the Ector County Commissioners Court on June 12, 1978.
The White-Pool House Friends, a non-profit organization, was formed in 1986 exclusively for charitable and educational purposes to preserve the historic heritage of the house.
Free tours are provided on Fridays and Saturdays from 10am to 3pm, and also by appointment. For more information, or to schedule a tour or an event, please visit their website or give them a call at 432-333-4072.