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The historic
Madeley Building was built in 1912 by brothers Albert A.
and Daniel A. Madeley, who owned a Madeley Meat Market
for many years downstairs.
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The Conroe Communications Company was
moved upstairs by George Madeley after the building was built
and operated there until the Conroe Telephone Company moved to
its new location on Phillips Street.
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Morris Bateman, a wire chief of the Lufkin
Telephone exchange, moved to Conroe in 1948 to manage the Conroe
telephone operations. Bateman installed the first air
conditioner in downtown Conroe on the second floor of the
Madeley Building to keep his lady switchboard operators
comfortable.
The Conroe Telephone
Company was in the second floor of the Madeley Building.
Here lady operators work the switchboard. According to
Vera Acrey, who was a
switchboard operator, the ladies would ask “number
please” and the caller would respond with a three-digit
number.
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In 1954, Conroe Telephone Company moved to
the new telephone exchange building on Phillips after 42 years
in the Madeley Building.
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Renovated in 2010, the building is now the
home of the Conroe Art League’s Gallery at the Madeley Building.
For more information, visit
www.conroeartleague.com.
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Now
celebrating a century of service, a landmark building in downtown Conroe
continues to reflect the progressive nature of the community and its
residents.
For 100 years, the Madeley Building, located at 125 Simonton Street in
downtown Conroe, has been an important site of commerce in Conroe – and
now the renovated facility serves as the home of the Conroe Art League
and their Gallery at the Madeley Building.
“The
businesses that have been housed in the Madeley Building have been
representative of the hard work and progressive nature of this part of
Texas,” said Larry Foerster, a Conroe civic leader and community
historian. “The children and grandchildren of the folks who worked and
did business in the Madeley building back in the day can still enjoy it
– it’s a part of our collective history.”
Following a devastating fire that destroyed most of downtown Conroe in
1911, the property on which the Madeley Building was constructed was
sold to Albert A. and Daniel A. Madeley for $400. The entrepreneurial
family, which owned 320 acres of land in Montgomery County, was active
in agriculture, cattle and the early days of telecommunications in the
city of Conroe.
Architect Duayne Freeman said the style of construction was typical of
the turn-of-the-century era – utilitarian and functional, with few
design accents or ornamentations. The structure does have an open patio
area in the rear.
Among the building’s earliest uses was as the Madeley Meat Market.
Joyce Musselman, 83, whose mother was a Madeley, recalled visiting the
retail market when she was only 3 years old – though details are
sketchy. Local attorney Foster Madeley, grandson of Daniel Madeley,
recalls his father delivering meat in bulk to the prison in Huntsville.
But
the Madeley Building had numerous retail incarnations over the decades,
including Midway Cleaners and a ladies dress shop owned by Mrs. Bell.
One of the most important – and historical – tenants was George
Madeley’s Conroe Communications Company.
The
early telephone company occupied the second floor of the Madeley
Building, providing local service for a monthly subscriber fee of 25
cents. Operator salaries at the time were $25 per month.
“It
was extremely hot up on the second floor of the Madeley Building during
summers,” said Foerster. “It’s believed that George Madeley brought the
first air conditioning unit to Montgomery County to keep the operators –
and the equipment – from overheating.”
Condensation from that early air conditioner occasionally leaked into
the dress shop below, damaging some garments for which George Madeley
agreed to pay.
“It’s said Mrs. Bell eventually began leaving dresses she couldn’t
otherwise sell under the areas that leaked,” said Foester. “She was a
pretty savvy businesswoman.”
CONROE LIVE,
the CONROE ART LEAGUE, CONSOLIDATED
COMMUNICATIONS and members of the MADELEY FAMILY
invite the public to join the 100th Birthday
Celebration of the Madeley Building and the
building on the corner across the street (known
today by many as “The Corner Pub” Building) on
April 26 from 5 to 8 p.m., at the corner of Main
and Simonton streets in historic downtown
Conroe.
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Eventually, the city of Conroe acquired the building and renovated the
structure as part of a downtown revitalization program. The revitalized
structure is occupied by the Conroe Art League – showcasing the artistic
creations of painters, sculptors and other artisans, primarily from
Montgomery County and the surrounding area.
“It’s very invigorating and appealing for the community to support the
arts in a historical structure like the Madeley Building,” said Theresa
Thornhill, president of the CAL. “We offer a gallery for artists to
display and sell their work and a variety of classes for those that want
to pursue artistic expression.”
Foster Madeley and Joyce Musselman, descendents of the original Madeley
Brothers who constructed the building, are pleased with the
revitalization of the building and its use as a gallery to showcase
local artists.
“What they have done is lovely,” said Foster. “It’s a fine use of a
building that has historical – and personal – significance.”
For
more information on CAL, visit
www.conroeartleague.com.
Conroe Courier
March 12, 2012
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