Ira Mose Newman, born in 1887 to a prominent Nolan County ranching family, became a leading businessman in the area with interests that included real estate and banking. He was also an active civic leader, an award-winning trapshooter, and a Texas Tech University regent. His wife, Margaret Hamner Newman, was likewise active in civic affairs. Designed in 1925 by the local firm of Nichol and Campbell, the Newman House is a one-and-one-half-story Tudor Revival residence with a basement, featuring a cross-gabled roofline, a pronounced chimney, grouped windows, and an arched entryway.