A Visionary Preservationist: The Life of Mary Lou Watkins
Published in The Hood County News, December 7, 2024
Born on July 15, 1917, in Granbury, Texas, Mary Lou Faulkner Ransom Watkins was a woman of remarkable spirit and determination. Her childhood was marked by a sense of adventure that prompted her mother to move the family to Dallas after catching young Mary Lou galloping down Bridge Street—hoping to instill a more refined demeanor in her spirited daughter.
Mary Lou’s life was a tapestry of diverse experiences. She studied at the University of Texas, where she was an active member of the Chi Omega sorority. In Dallas, she became deeply involved with St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church, teaching Sunday school and engaging actively in parish life. Her early years saw her wearing many hats—working as a fashion model, saleswoman, author, and devoted mother. Her personal life was equally rich. Her first marriage was to Louis Ransom, a World War I veteran, with whom she had a son, Arthur Kent Ransom. Later, she married Charles Lee Watkins, Jr., and had two more sons, Charles Lee and Dr. David Watkins.
But it was in Granbury where Mary Lou truly made her mark. Returning to her hometown in the late 1960s to care for her widowed mother, she breathed new life into the community. She began by restoring her family home on Bridge Street, carefully adding bathrooms and planting crepe myrtle trees. Her restoration work extended to the historic Nutt House Hotel, which she reopened in 1970, serving what she lovingly called “good country cooking”—featuring hot water cornbread, chicken and dumplings, and locally sourced fresh vegetables.
Mary Lou was a fierce protector of Granbury’s historical character. When the 1969 opening of Lake Granbury threatened to transform the town, she took action. City leaders wanted to demolish the south side of the town square for a lake view, but Mary Lou had a different vision. She understood that preserving the historic buildings was key to the town’s future. Mary Lou understood that Granbury’s lack of economic development in the post-WWII period actually proved fortuitous. As she remarked, Granbury was “blessed by its poverty” during that time, as there was little incentive to modernize or demolish the old rock buildings surrounding the town square. This economic stagnation ultimately preserved the structures in their original appearance, providing the foundation for Mary Lou’s restoration efforts and vision to transform Granbury into a historic tourist destination. Her work breathed new life into the community, attracting like-minded entrepreneurs who shared her goal of celebrating the town’s character.
Partnering with Sis Henslee, she began buying and renovating buildings, starting with the location of “The Nutshell.” Their efforts attracted other like-minded entrepreneurs, such as Jeanine Macon, who shared her vision of a quality, historic destination. In 1971, she collaborated with renowned San Antonio architect O’Neil Ford to achieve a groundbreaking milestone—securing National Historic District status for the entire Granbury town square, the first such designation in Texas.
Her work transformed Granbury from a declining agricultural town into a vibrant regional tourist destination, complete with antique shops, an Opera House, bed and breakfast hotels, and numerous festivals and events. And as a writer, Mary Lou co-authored a historical novel about Dr. Franz Mesmer, edited Ben K. Green’s “Horse Tradin’,” and wrote and edited several children’s stories, showcasing her creative talents beyond preservation.
Mary Lou Watkins passed away in February 2001 at the age of 83, after battling cancer. She was laid to rest in the Granbury Cemetery, leaving behind a legacy of preservation, community development, and unwavering determination that fundamentally reshaped her beloved hometown. Her life stands as a testament to the power of vision, passion, and commitment to preserving local history and community character. To commemorate her legacy, there is a statue of Mary Lou Watkins on the northeast corner of the Granbury Town Square. The statue depicts her ringing the bell as she opened the restaurant for lunch—a reminder of olden days when farmwives rang their bells to signal meal time for their families out in the field.
