Lester Looney and Mary Harper built the home in 1916.
The dogtrot central hallway is a display space for antiques and artwork.
The old fireplace in the bar area.
The original floor has required a few patches in the last century.
Additional seating has been added on the porch.
Linden Public House
Centuries ago, in Europe, farming communities would designate a home in a central locale as a “public house,” or “pub” for short. It was a place for gathering, drinking spirits and holding meetings.
A century later, in Linden, Texas, the home built by Lester Looney Harper in 1916 was transformed into one such place. After a brief period of closure, it was recently opened again by new owners, Michael and Natalie Gorman of California.
The couple, who met when both were stationed in Okinawa with the United States Marine Corps, found the house online while looking for a place to call home upon retirement. Both left the Marines before going to work for Abbott Laboratories, the maker of medical products such as Pedialyte and Ensure. Natalie recently retired from her role as Infrastructure Engineer; Michael, a Quality Engineer, was recently transferred to Austin, so he can join her in Linden and commute from there.
“Now we are finally doing what we want to do together,” said Natalie. “He retires in seven years, but that’s okay. We are going to do this together.”
The couple has two children – Derris Davis Corman is a Cheer coach in Tyler, and daughter Kyla is helping mom before finishing college in Houston. Natalie’s sister and her children also moved to Linden.
Linden Public House was restored a few years ago by Anna and Clay Eddings of Dallas, but it didn’t survive COVID restrictions last year. Natalie has kept the décor and ambiance started by the couple and added more outdoor seating on the porch.
In the years that Lester and Mary Harper lived there with twin sons Ben and Richard, and daughter Christine, who later became Christine Yandell, Lester was the owner of Cass County Abstract Company, as well county judge. Their home at 401 East Houston was centrally located between the Baptist and Methodist churches, with the Courthouse square visible from the front porch.
The farmhouse was built in the “dogtrot” style, which has an open hallway down the middle of the home between the front and back doors, for children and dogs to run through without tracking dirt throughout the other rooms.
On the walls of the hallway are antiques and artwork. Old photos of the Harpers adorn the dining room wall, along with a framed portion of original wallpaper.
The Linden Public House serves Southern comfort and Cajun food, with Sunday from 4-7 p.m. designated Gumbo Sundays.