sketchclub.net: The El Paso Sketch Club: Oscar Baum Residence

Here is a relatively early El Paso home, located on Montana Street, drawn up by the firm of Gibson and Robertson, a remarkable Colonial styled residence built for Oscar Baum in late 1911 or early 1912. It was part of the huge Franklin Heights expansion eastward, and is now extant in the Montana Historic District. The home has a distinctive rounded porch and entryway flanked with ionic pillars and pilasters, tall and menacing. It sits in a forest of historic and dominant homes, nevertheless stands apart - as do many Gibson and Robertson artworks.

Oscar H. Baum, owner, Manager, and principal salesperson at the successful Chalmers Motor Company, built this house for himself and his family in 1911. It was completed late that year or, more likely, in January or February of 1912 - where it makes its first appearance in City Directories. Baum occupied the property until the end of 1916, when it was sold to Alberto Valdespino, who in turn sold it to D.B. Gillies the following year. In 1919, it was the home of F.G. Masquelette, then in 1920-1921 it belonged to H.P. Deady. In 1922 it was the home of H.W. Wentworth. This seems to be a pattern we have seen in these mansions: the original owner occupies it for a short time, then it seems to change owners annually.

The home stands today in excellent condition, used as offices. It has no renovations in its history, according to EPCAD, although that may mean it has been reno'ed sans city permits.

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Text and research provided to the El Paso Sketch Club by Mark Stone. This historical narrative is derived from newspaper articles and City Directory entries accessed through the Library of Congress' Chronicling America project at https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/ and the University of North Texas (Denton) Digital Archives at https://texashistory.unt.edu/