HEY SAY YOU CAN'T GO BACK AGAIN. BUT THEY DON'T KNOW THE Chambers family who recently revisited an important place in their history and their hearts - home.

Lollie Dee King Chambers lived at 1200 Southmore for most of her young adulthood. It was there that many cherished memories were created with her parents, sister Geane and other relatives who resided in the home from time to time. She was married there - in front of the home's fireplace - and lived there with her husband Gene Chambers, and their two young children until 1941, when "Daddy kicked us out, " she chuckles.

"My mother often talked about the house her father, George King, built in 1919," says Bob Chambers. "She always wondered what had happened to it."

Knowing how much the house meant to her, Chambers set out to see if it was still standing. Much to his surprise, the current owner, Pat Thomas, knew exactly who he was and was delighted to meet a descendent of the original builder. "When I told the owner I was George King's grandson, she couldn't believe it," Chambers says. "She enthusiastically invited us in, and we had a long visit."

Thomas bought house in 1991 and has lovingly restored it into The Patrician Bed & Breakfast Inn. Familiar with it's history, Thomas was anxious to know more: "I was hoping one of the family might come by one day." She got her wish, but it didn't stop there. As a gift to their mother for her 88th birthday, Bob chambers and his sisters, Deleste and Neva, planned a memorable homecoming at the house for much of the extended family. Seeing the house in all its newfound glory was nothing less than thrilling for Lollie Dee Chambers. "It sure is different today," she says. "That was the music room; my mother kept trying to make me play the piano, but she finally gave up." Lollie Dee continued to talk of old times, saying her grandfather who had fought in the Civil War later lived there with the family. "There was a chicken coop in the backyard ... and the servants' quarters were behind the house," Chambers remembers.

After much reminiscing and an elegant dinner, guests pushed back the tables and started dancing, each making sure they had a turn with the birthday girl. The immediate family took the opportunity to spend the night in the home, and then all 25 guests returned for a brunch the following morning.

As they shared the fond memories of the home more than 60 years since they lived there, the Chambers family members were pleased that it hasn't lost its charm. And it's definitely had a life of its own, as a convalescent home, and art gallery and the late Mickey Leland's congressional headquarters. Pat Thomas says that with her thriving bed and breakfast, things continue to bustle around the home. "It is more like staying in a home here," she says, smiling. Make that a cozy, old-fashioned home with a rich history.¹

¹ RO Monthly November 1996

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FOR RESERVATIONS & INFORMATION
Patrician Bed & Breakfast
1200 Southmore Blvd.
Houston, TX 77004-5826
1-800-553-5797
Phone (713) 523-1114 Fax (713) 523-0790