The Joseph S. Williams Residence at 323 W. Rio Grande is a historical gold mine in addition to being a beautiful Mission Revival home. Designed by Henry C. Trost, it is the current residence of former Presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke, who has restored and remodeled it.
The historically significant home was built in 1905, and is located at 323 W. Rio Grande. It was built by El Paso banker Joseph Williams, and is a stuccoed brick structure on a concrete foundation. It is a great example of Trost's Mission Revival architectural style, repeated in a number of buildings he designed throughout the southwest.
This home is in an "L" shape, and has 3 full baths and 5 bedrooms. It has wooden floors and a gorgeous porch and courtyard.
According to the 8/15/1915 El Paso Times, General Hugh Scott and Pancho Villa met at the home. Quoting the Times article (Crediting El Paso Times reporter Trish Long):
"Secrecy Shrouds Meeting Between Generals Hugh Scott and Pancho Villa
"Property of American and foreign merchants confiscated by the government at Chihuahua and other cities in the conventionalist territory will be restored to the owners and the proposed meeting between General Villa and mine owners in northern Mexico, at which it is believed Villa intended to levy a war loan of $350,000, has been postponed indefinitely, are two immediate results of the conference between General Hugh L. Scott, chief of staff of the United States army, and General Francisco Villa, leader of the conventionalist forces in Mexico, held Tuesday morning in El Paso. What other results will come from the meeting and what agreements were made to cause Villa to completely reverse his recent policy were not state by General Scott, who was the only person present at the conference who would talk in reference to what transpired there.
"The conference, for which General Villa came to Juarez and later to El Paso, and General Scott from Washington, was held in the home of J.F. Williams on West Rio Grande street about 8 o’clock Tuesday morning and was attended by Generals Scott and Villa. George C. Carothers, and Alberto Madero, and uncle to the late president of Mexico. Messrs. Carothers and Madero acted as interpreters and advisers during the meeting."
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| 1907 "Trost & Trost, Architects" advertising pamphlet, page 7, from The Portal to Texas History |
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| Google Earth Street View, accessed April 2019 |
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| Google Earth Street View, accessed April 2019 |
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| Google Earth Street View, accessed April 2019 |
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| Google Earth Street View, accessed April 2019 |
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| El Paso Herald, 1/11/1911, via the University of North Texas (Denton) digital archives, via the Library of Congress (https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/) |
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| Google Earth Street View, accessed April 2019 |
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| Image from Oldhouses, used by permission (https://www.oldhouses.com/3457) |
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| Image from Oldhouses, used by permission (https://www.oldhouses.com/3457) |
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| Image from Oldhouses, used by permission (https://www.oldhouses.com/3457) |
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| Image from Oldhouses, used by permission (https://www.oldhouses.com/3457) |
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| Image from Oldhouses, used by permission (https://www.oldhouses.com/3457) |
