This was a merchant's residence of the early 1900s. Born in Indianola, Julius Lichtenstein (1871-1923) was three when his family moved to Corpus Christi and opened a drygoods store in 1874. From childhood, he worked in the store that in time became the noted M. Lichenstein and Sons, a prestigious business relied upon in South Texas. Several Weil family members also joined the firm, and in 1902 Julius Lichenstein married Carrie Weil (1877-1958). After the death in 1904 of his father, Moritz Lichenstein, Julius was head of the firm. His duties frequently sent him on visits to the East, where he apparently acquired a liking for architecture that contrasted with the Victorian forms usually seen in this region.
Julius and Carrie Lichenstein built this house in 1905 at 715 North Chaparral. The style is Colonial Revival, in a trend popularized by architect Stanford White of New York. Elegant as this structure was—with its stately front door, elliptical porch, peaked roof and other handsome features—the Lichensteins built and moved into a larger house in 1913, owning this place, however, until 1926. Moved nine blocks north in 1929, this structure, survivor of many fads, stands as an exhibit of a distinctive housing style.Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1976.
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