Texarkana is a city that is half in Texas and the other half, across State Line Road, is in Arkansas. A most unusual building, the Draughon-Moore Ace of Clubs House, is at 420 Pine Street on the Texas side. Built in 1885 by a native Tennessean, James Harris Draughon, its shape mimics the playing card form. It is an Italianate Victorian two-story brick home with a rectangular wing and three octagonal wings. A 20-foot tower and a spiral staircase add to the home’s uniqueness. Legend has it that the house’s shape commemorates the winning card in a game that helped Draughon fund his ventures. The home’s second owner, William Lowndes Whitaker, Sr., resided there from 1887-94 when attorney Henry Moore, Sr. purchased it. A kitchen wing and bathroom were added in the early 1900s. When Henry Moore, Jr. married Olivia Smith of Tyler, Texas, in 1920, they took up residence in the home. The younger Moore died in 1942, but his widow continued to live in the house until her death in 1985.
Ace of Clubs House, Texarkana, Texas
“And the fraternity connection?” you ask. Well, there are two. On November 10, 2012, the Texas A&M – Texarkana chapter of the history honor society, Phi Alpha Theta, will sponsor a photo shoot at the house. “Experience the fun side of history,” reads the flyer. For a $10 fee, historical clothing will be provided and a disk of photos will be given to ech participant. Phi Alpha Theta was founded on March 14, 1921 at the University of Arkansas. A second chapter was founded a year later to the day at the University of Pittsburgh. Its purpose is to recognize excellence in the study of history.
Olivia Smith Moore, wife of Henry Moore, Jr., served Pi Beta Phi as an officer for more than three decades. She graduated summa cum laude from the University of Missouri where she was a member of the Missouri Alpha chapter of Pi Beta Phi. From 1936-46, she served as a Province Vice-President. She then served as Treasurer of the Settlement School Committee until 1951. The Committee was charged with overseeing the work of the Pi Beta Phi Settlement School in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. In 1952, she was elected Grand Treasurer and served in that position until 1967. At the 1967 Centennial Convention, she was named Grand Treasurer Emerita. She often began her Grand Treasurer’s convention reports with the phrase, “We took in scads and we spent oodles.” Despite the joking, “Miss Olivia,” as she was known in the fraternity, kept a very careful eye on the organization’s funds. During her years of service, her Neiman Marcus shoe collection became legendary. Pi Beta Phi convention delegates considered it a treat to see the more than three dozen pairs of shoes she usually took to convention lined up on a chest of drawers in her hotel room.
Miss Olivia on stairs of the home, circa 1960s
Today, the home is part of the Texarkana Museums System. Miss Olivia deeded the home to the Texarkana Historical Society upon her death. Structurally, the home was in very good shape, having been well cared for throughout its existence. The museum opened in 1988. Rooms are decorated to provided glimpses into specific decades for “a walk through history.” The master bedroom is in the 1930s style. The closet is filled with boxes and boxes of Miss Olivia’s Neiman Marcus shoes. Some of her Pi Phi memorabilia can be found in the home.
Tours are given on a regular schedule and the home’s lawn and outbuildings can be rented for weddings, receptions, meetings, photo shoots, and lawn parties.
