White-Pool House

The White-Pool House is a historic structure in Odessa, Texas, included on the National Register of Historic Places. It was opened to the public in 1984, and retains many of its original furnishings and some rotating exhibits.The two-story red-brick house, located at 112 East Murphy Street (east of the downtown Odessa area), was built in 1887 by Charles White and later purchased in 1923 by Oso Pool; it is the oldest surviving structure in the city.The rooms in the White-Pool House parallel two significant periods of history: (1) The 1880s during the pioneer era when it was built and occupied by the White family and (2) The 1930s during the oil boomtown when it was the home of the Pool family. In the back of the house are a windmill, barn and other farm buildings, and an outhouse of handmade blocks dating from the founding. In the barn is a display of permanent exhibits of horse-drawn equipment.The White-Pool House is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Guided tours for individuals or groups are available; there is no admission charge.The White EraCharles White and his wife, Lucy, former residents of Indiana and members of the Quaker denomination, arrived in Odessa, the seat of Ector County, accompanied by their two sons, Wilfred and Herbert.Lucy had a perceived health need to live in a dry climate like that of West Texas, and Charles’ grain business in Indiana had failed in the economic stress of the decades following the American Civil War. The railroad was selling property in Ector County; thus, the Whites came to Odessa to begin their lives anew. Charles and Wilfred operated a general merchandise store at Third and North Grant streets. Charles also planted a pear and peach orchard with the windmill as the centerpiece of the irrigation system. He grew sorghum, cotton, and vegetables.