Whitaker-McClendon House
historic place
The Whitaker-McClendon House is a historic place in Tyler, Smith County, Texas. This Victorian residence, featuring Italianate and Eastlake architectural styles, was built between 1878 and 1880. It was constructed for attorney Harrison Moores Whitaker and his wife, Mattie. Mattie was the daughter of Texas Supreme Court Justice Micajah H. Bonner, who gifted the land for their home. The two-story cypress and pine house was built on a brick foundation. In 1910, ionic columns were added to support the portico, along with a second-story bedroom and porch. After Mattie's death and Harrison's remarriage, the house was purchased in 1907 by Mattie's sister, Annie, and her husband, Sidney Smith McClendon. White House correspondent Sarah McClendon was born in this house in 1910, the youngest of their nine children. The McClendon family owned the home until 1979. The Whitaker-McClendon House was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982 and designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1988. It also received designation as a Tyler Historic Landmark in 1984. Today, this significant property operates as a living history museum, offering a glimpse into Tyler's past through its exhibits and preserved architecture.