Smith-Muse House

Smith-Muse House. . , This prairie-style farmhouse was built by Alfred Fletcher “A.F.” Smith Jr. and his wife Harriet “Lou” McKnight Smith around 1905 on land first settled by the builder’s parents Alfred Fletcher Smith Sr. and Elizabeth “Betsy” Griggs Smith in the 1850s. The original location of the home and farm of approximately 200 acres was near the current intersection of Rose Lane and Stonebrook Parkway in western Frisco. A.F. and Lou lived in this home until their deaths in the 1930s, raising five children during that time, Victoria, Donia, Frank, Rollie, and Annie., The Smith home had two parlors and a dining room downstairs and four bedrooms upstairs. Constructed before electricity and running water, the kitchen was in the rear of the home, with a wood stove and a built-in pantry for dishes. A gathering place for extended family on Sundays and holidays, this home was a focal point of many fond memories, particularly those regarding meals and “Grandma Smith’s” famous tea cookies. , After the deaths of A.F. and Lou, the home and land were sold, and their oldest son Frank continued working for the new owner until he repurchased both the home and farm in the 1940s. A successful farmer and businessman, Frank and wife Alice lived in the home until her death in 1959, and he sold the home and land in 1962, remarried and moved into the town of Frisco. , Among the fourth generation of Smiths, the daughter of A.F. and Lou’s youngest son Rollie, Betty Smith Muse re-purchased the house and five acres in 1999 and made it her home until 2004. , In partnership with Pulte Homes, developer of the Villages of Frisco Lakes subdivision, Betty Muse and her son John, the City of Frisco and the Heritage Association of Frisco were responsible for the donation of the Smith-Muse House and its relocation to the Frisco Heritage Center. , Heritage Stories , By Mike Cates, BG, U.S. Army Retired, Grandson of Frank Smith , Alfred “Frank” Smith, oldest son of A.F. and Lou Smith, served in the U.S. Army during World War I and trained in Texas and New Jersey before deploying to combat in France in early 1918. For most of his deployment, he was a soldier in the 128th Infantry Regiment, 32nd Infantry Division, participating in five military campaigns before being wounded on November 10, 1918, one day before the Armistice was signed. , Frank’s wounds resulted in the amputation of a significant part of his right leg and delayed his return home to Frisco until after his rehabilitation in France, New Jersey, and Iowa. For his military service, Private First Class Frank Smith was awarded the Victory Medal with six battle clasps and the Presidential Wound Certificate signed by President Woodrow Wilson. He continued living and working in Frisco until his death in 1981, and in 2012, the Army posthumously awarded him the Purple Heart. , A.F. Smith Jr. Family, circa 1910. , A.F. Smith Jr. and his wife Lou, builders of this home, on their wedding day, January 2, 1887.