would like to thank you for taking the time to look over our site! It's extremely important to us that you understand that The Page House is not simply a business to us; it's a labor of love. Every facet of The Page House business reflects a part of us. Les has a theater degree, so the Polo Barn Theater is a natural for him. We both have loved older homes and antiques throughout our marriage in 1979. I've always had a flair for decorating, and this gave me an opportunity to really stretch my creativity and education. A great deal of our business will revolve around weddings. Les and I have been extremely involved in marriage ministry, and we both really have hearts for marriage.
If you have the opportunity to come to The Page House, we believe that it will be a breathtaking experience for you, and each time you return, you'll discover something new. But, understand that having the opportunity to be a part of The Page House is a wonderful and humbling honor for us. It is a gift, and we feel as if we are living out a dream. God has blessed us beyond what we could ask or hope for, and our desire is that you will not only be touched by the beauty of this place, but that you'll be drawn by the peace that dwells here.
We’ve been asked on numerous occasions, rather excitedly I might add, if a ghost dwells in the house. Apparently, in some circles, an old house having a ghost is a must see. We can honestly say that the only spirit we've observed in this house is the Spirit of God.
Joseph M. Page (d. 1929) built ‘The Page House’ for his family in 1903. Born in Boston, Massachusetts in 1832, Page was caught up in the excitement of the California gold rush of 1849. Sailing to the west coast by way of Cape Horn, he participated in the frenzied prospecting and speculating that was common to that era, but little is known regarding any success he may have achieved. After a short time, he started a return trip to Massachusetts via land, working as he traveled. He moved to Bastrop, Texas, where he established a sawmill in the Lost Pines region, and where he served as a Justice of the peace. By the early 1850s he had steeled in the new community of Georgetown in Williamson County, where he was known by the title "Captain." Whether his moniker reflected his early adventure at sea or his standing the military has not been determined.
In Georgetown, Page acquired a great deal of land and participated in a number of enterprises. Most notably, he was a successful rancher, the town postmaster (1865), and the proprietor of Page’s Mineral Wells Steam Baths in the 1880’s and 1890’s. He built his bath houses in Oak Grove Park, near the later site of Carver Elementary School.
Page was of medium height, stocky, with whiskers and a short beard. In his older years, his eyes were weak and he wore dark glasses outside and an eyeshade indoors. This was probably the reason he walked slowly with a shambling gait, and always carried a heavy stick. He dressed well, and gave the impression of being a man of means. He and Mrs. Page were well off when they came to Georgetown, and they built a small, four room house west of I & GN Railroad. Because the house was painted pale green, it was called the "Little Green House."
One of Page’s investments was some land in Jefferson Country. When oil was discovered at Spindle Top in 1901, he "had it made;" he sold the land for $100,000 and became one of the wealthiest men in Central Texas.
The Pages lived in the Little Green House for a couple of years when Mr. Page decided he ought to live in a more stylish house. He had the Belford Lumber Co. draw up plans for a two-story mansion of 10-12 rooms with a towering gabled roof, upstairs porches and porches on the south and east sides, electric lights, water, sewer and three fireplaces with mantles finished in pink and green tile. The Belford Lumber Co. trademark was to put Italian tile on the face of the fireplace. Page ordered cypress lumber from Galveston. The design and construction of the Victorian house resembles homes built along the coast more than the typical farm or prairie house. Built on a prominent hill overlooking Georgetown, it is on of the few "ranch" houses still preserved in Williamson County.
It is said that Captain Page built his Victorian home and 2000 acre estate, outside the Georgetown corporate limits to avoid paying city taxes. If that is true, he must have been frustrated when the city soon extended its western boundaries past his homestead. The action made little difference, however, because a family tragedy prevented him from enjoying the luxury of his new residence. In April, 1903, his wife Olivia died. Mrs. Page was evidently a wealthy woman in her own right; her probate records reveal her real estate holdings in the Texas counties of Jefferson, Medina, Williamson, Brewster, and Wilson, and in the states of Nevada and California.
Following his wife’s death, J.M. Page sold the new family home to Olivia’s brother, Thomas Decrow. Born at Decrow Point in Matagorda County, Texas, in 1849, Decrow joined his family and others who moved from the Indianola area following the devastating 1875 hurricane. He arrived in Georgetown the following year and eventually became one of the county’s leading ranchers. He married Jennie Cook in 1877, and two children were born to the couple. Decrow died of pneumonia on January 4, 1921.
In September, 1920, just a few months before his death, Thomas Decrow sold the family home and 500 acres to Horace McClure Weir and his wife Elizabeth Cecelia "Bessie" Rude. H.M. Weir was the son of Williamson County pioneers Thomas Calvin and Valinda Camp Weir. The town of Weir, located seven miles northeast of Georgetown, was named for the family.
It was during the Weir family ownership, which lasted until 1962, that the homestead gained some statewide recognition as a sports training center. The "sport" was polo, as unusual in Texas during the 1930s as it is today. In the 1930s, the Texas style of polo was seen as a natural outgrowth of ranching traditions, much as rodeos or quarter horse races. Newell Bent, in his 1929 book American Polo, provided a good description of the sport’s Lone Star version:
… We see the picturesque Texas polo at its best, for the stock saddle, the fivegallon hat, and the embroidered cowboy boot is still the usual polo equipment.
Esther Messick Weir, who married into the family, gave an even more detailed picture of early polo in Texas:
The Texans might not wrap their horses’ legs with bandages and braid the horses tails and manes; they might not wear the classic polo shirt, a simple cotton knit shirt with short sleeves and a crew neckline; they might not use the special version of the English saddle which was used by the Eastern players; they might not use the helmet and the high riding boots to replace their Stetsons (sic) and cowboy boots, but play polo they did, and the more they came into contact with the Eastern teams, the more they upgraded their equipment and their skills. The Texans eventually would adopt all of the Eastern gear, even the preference for Thoroughbred horses over Quarter horses.
The site of the polo playing field was located to the east of the house, on land that was later excavated during construction on Interstate 35 in 1963.
The Page House is a reminder of the town’s prosperity at the turn of the century. It is a two-story frame structure with Queen Anne influences on a Victorian design. The architecture exhibits a variety of stylistic details and textures. A major element in the design is the 2 and ½ story octagonal tower on the southeast corner. It is an unusual feature, both because of its proportions and because it is enclosed without exterior openings. A common assumption would be that original windows were later covered, but historic photos show it was built as it now appears.
The home is designed on an L-plan, with an intersecting gable roof. A large, two-story gallery features Doric columns and turned-wood balustrades. A pent roof with shingled siding separates the first and second floors. Additional features include a brick chimney with a corbelled cap, cutaway corners on the northeast projecting wing, 1 over 1 double hung wood sash window, and transoms over the doors. The house is prominently sited on a hill facing Georgetown. That it was designed to be seen only from the direction of town is evidenced by the lack of ornamentation on the rear elevation.