COUNTY LIFE
Breathing new life into The Baker Hotel (video and photos)
By BARBARA GREEN
[email protected]
When Jeff and Christina Palmer first walked into The Baker Hotel it was awe-inspiring, and despite nearly 50 years of deterioration and vandalism, the craftsmanship of this 1929 gem was evident from its plaster and woodwork to the intricate tile.
The Palmers own Classic Design Works in Nocona and they are part of the team building and restoring the 900-plus windows in the storied Mineral Wells hotel. The couple and their crew have been working on the windows the past four months.
Their part of the restoration focuses on building new double-sash windows, along with exterior wood trim for the window, the the middle dividers, plus some other “fancy detail” pieces. They also are cutting all the window glass.
The Palmers are excited to be involved in a project that may be the largest historical restoration in Texas history.
In 1926 T.B. Baker began construction of the 14-story hotel in the heart of downtown Mineral Wells at at cost of $1.2 million. It opened two weeks after the great stock market crash on Oct. 29, 1929.
Read the full feature on the Baker’s restoration and its storied history in the weekend Bowie News.
The 22nd annual July Jam returns on July 27 to the Bowie Community Center West Hall, 413 Pelham Street in Bowie.
There will be a “chickin’ pickin’ fiddling fun time” as guests will be entertained by amazing fiddling tunes and enjoying a chicken meal with delicious homemade jams because it wouldn’t be July Jam without it.
Tickets are just $15 with the event starting at 6 p.m. The funds raised help provide awards for the Championship Fiddler Competition during Chicken and Bread Days Heritage Festival on Oct. 5.
This attracts talented musicians from all over to visit downtown Bowie to test their fiddling skills on stage in the Bowie Fire Hall on Oct. 5.
Along with the live fiddling entertainment, come hungry and be ready to outbid your neighbors at the silent auction or just stop by for a great meal, fellowship and soak in the air conditioning.
Read the full story in the mid-week Bowie News.
The Nocona City Council met this past week making plans for budget and tax rate hearings.
Councilors received a brief update on the 2024-25 budget preparations. City Secretary Revell Hardison said the final proposal is almost complete and they now await the arrival of the no-new revenue tax rate that will be reviewed by the council after it is calculated by the tax collector.
The proposal includes a tax rate increase of about 3% similar to last year and there will be a small increase in water and sewer rates, but Hardison said the final crunch on those will come after the tax rate projections arrive.
Read the full story in the mid-week Bowie News.
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