Dr. William & Beatrice Butler House

Dr. William H. Butler, Sr., was the first African American physician to practice medicine in Abilene. Born in Dec. 1875 in Palestine (Anderson Co.), he attended grade and high school there and continued his education at Wiley College in Marshall (Harrison Co.). In 1910, he received his degree from Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee, one of the few institutions in the U.S. that issued medical degrees to African Americans at the time. After moving to Abilene, he began his medical practice in his home at 701 Mesquite Street. In June 1914, he married Beatrice Studervant, and they had one child, William H. Butler, Jr., who also became a physician. Dr. Butler remained busy in the community, serving not only as a practicing physician but also providing pharmaceutical and dental services. After retiring in 1945, he and his wife lived in Fort Worth until his death in Sept. 1947. Beatrice then moved back to Abilene and lived in the family home until her death in Jan. 1968, and the couple are buried in the Abilene city cemetery. Following Beatrice Butler’s death, the home was deeded to Christ House day care center and served the surrounding neighborhood, which at the time was primarily African American, with support from eight local churches. The Butler house is also a local example of Craftsman style architecture, a historic bungalow with wood and stone cladding, a wide front gable and wraparound porch, back porch columns, exposed rafter trails and a projecting front bay window.

Abilene, Texas · United States