Byars Building

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Although the National Register of Historic Places survey dates this building at about 1915, according to late Blanco resident Roy Byars the building was “already old” when he and his family moved into it in 1923. It is believed that the building was actually constructed in the early 1880s on land owned by John W. Speer.

According to Mr. Byars, deed records indicate that the Cage and Speer general store was located in this building. It was later sold to B. N. Palmer, who had a general merchandise store on this site at least between 1892 and 1905; it is just visible at far right in the old photograph on page 27. Originally this building had another wing on the south side that also faced the street. It was as wide as the present building but only went back halfway. The wing was torn down in the late ’20s or early ’30s.

In 1919 the Willow City Telephone Co. purchased the building to house a new telephone system. The company subsequently bought out and absorbed an earlier competitor. In 1923 Mrs. Sibyl “Sibbie” Byars moved her family into the building and took over the operation of the switchboard. With her daughters Pearl and Ruby, she operated it until the dial system was installed.

The Mid Continent Telephone Co. purchased the building in 1929 but in 1930 sold out to Mid West States Telephone Company, in turn bought out in 1941 by the United Telephone Company. On December 31, 1951, the old telephone system in this building was closed down when the Bell System bought and relocated the phone operation. (The phone operation was later purchased by General Telephone, which still owns it.)

Pearl Byars had purchased the land behind the telephone office in August 1945 and in November 1981 she bought the old telephone building. Later Roy Byars became the owner of the land and the building.

The City of Blanco now owns the building and recently renovated it. The city uses the building for their City Council meetings, municipal court sessions, and various other governmental organization meetings

The house was also previously used for a gift shop, hospice shop, and hair salon.

The Telephone Building is a one-story, gable-front, board-and-batten vernacular house resting on limestone piers. It is roofed in corrugated metal, including the shed front-porch roof. Inside, the house has a three-room “shotgun” plan. The floors are of wooden planks, the middle room has a limestone chimney for a wood stove, and the walls and ceilings are wallpapered on sized canvas. It is a rare example of a vernacular house in the Courthouse Square area.