THIS STRUCTURE WAS BUILT AT 1101 NORTH CHAPARRAL FOR SIMON AND LILA BELLE (SOLOMAN) GUGENHEIM. SIMON GUGENHEIM (1861-1942) WAS A NATIVE TEXAN WHO CAME TO CORPUS CHRISTI IN 1882 WITH FORTY DOLLARS IN HIS POCKET AND REMAINED TO BECOME WEALTHY. HE AND A FRIEND FORMED THE GUGENHEIM & COHN DRYGOODS CO. IN 1891, THE YEAR OF HIS MARRIAGE. HE ACQUIRED A GREAT DEAL OF PROPERTY WHEN HE HELPED RESCUE THE CITY'S ECONOMY DURING A RECESSION IN 1896, AND LATER WAS A SUCCESSFUL INVESTOR IN THE PETROLEUM INDUSTRY. THE GUGENHEIMS HAD THIS HOUSE BUILT ABOUT 1900. THEY MOVED INTO A MODEST APARTMENT AND SOLD THEIR HOME IN 1924. AMONG THEIR PHILANTHROPIES WAS A GIFT OF FOUR LOTS ON SOUTH BROADWAY AS THE SITE FOR A YMCA BUILDING, WHERE GUGENHEIM'S PORTRAIT WAS HUNG. THEIR VICTORIAN HOUSE OF THE EARLY 1900s WAS MOVED TO ITS PRESENT SITE DURING A PERIOD OF CITY GROWTH.

THE TURRET ON THIS HOUSE SURVIVED ALL OTHERS IN THE DOMESTIC ARCHITECTURE OF THE CITY. THE BUILDER ADORNED THE HOUSE WITH BAY WINDOWS; A LUNETT'E IN THE FRONT PEDIMENT; AND GABLES FACED WITH SHINGLES; ORNAMENTING THE PORCHES WITH COLUMNS, BRACKETS, AND BANISTERS, AND WITH CORNICES DISPLAYING WOODEN BEADS, SPINDLES; LATTICES, AND OTHER VICTORIAN GINGERBREAD.

RECORDED TEXAS HISTORIC LANDMARK - 1976 NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES