Sondra Hernandez Staff writer December 8, 2024

The historic home of a prominent doctor in early Conroe will receive a historical marker Dec. 12. 

The Montgomery County Historical Commission will dedicate a marker at the home of Dr. Thomas S. Falvey in downtown Conroe. His former home now serves as the headquarters for the nonprofit Child Advocates of Montgomery County. 

A dedication and open house is from 3 to 4 p.m. at 505 North Main in Conroe Dec. 12.

“The former home of Dr. Thomas Falvey was constructed in 1929,” said Larry Foerster, chairman of the Montgomery County Historical Commission. “The house later served as a Methodist church parsonage and then law offices before it was purchased by CASA in 2021. This makes the seventh county historical marker in the City of Conroe, with more soon to come.”

GIVING TUESDAY: Here’s how to help several Houston nonprofits and other groups on Giving Tuesday

About the Montgomery County Historical Commission 

The Montgomery County Historical Commission is an arm of Montgomery County government. Volunteers on the commission are from various backgrounds who bring special expertise, skills and perspectives to the mission of the historical commission to preserve local history. 

Volunteers also maintain a county historical marker program placing plaques to mark the history at Montgomery County landmarks. Recent markers this fall have been placed at Sacred Heart Catholic Church and St. Matthew Baptist Church in Conroe. 

Commission member Stacey McDowell researched the history of the home for its marker designation. 

Early life of Dr. Thomas S. Falvey 

Dr. Thomas Seymour Falvey was considered the most respected doctor and surgeon — as well as entrepreneur and humanitarian — of Conroe for the first half of the 20th century.

Born July 21, 1874, in Wells, Texas, one of 16 children, Falvey came to Conroe in 1918. Three of his siblings also became doctors. 

By 1920 he was the primary surgeon at the Mary Swain Sanatorium, the first hospital in Montgomery County. He later helped organize and served as president for the Farmers & Merchants Bank and built the Birch Hotel on property adjacent to his home. 

WHAT IS HOPERA?: Hopera group brings opera to Houston breweries to expose more people to the arts

Dr. Thomas S. Falvey’s elegant home

The home built in 1929 was the personal residence of Falvey and his wife, Ruby Evans Falvey, who was originally a nurse.

According to a history of the home, the two-story Falvey Home was the largest brick home in Conroe at the time of its construction. There was also a two-story carriage house constructed at about the same time. The house had a green Italian tile roof and large front porch. 

Falvey used the basement at one point as his laboratory where he performed autopsies.

His children Thomas Falvey Jr. and daughter, Olive Falvey, grew up in the house. 

“It was a big, elegant, four-bedroom house on the main street of Conroe at the time with large rooms,” Olive Falvey Davis said in a 2014 interview with The Courier. “Whenever something big happened in Conroe, like a parade, it always went right past our house.”

Davis recalled the basement flooding during heavy rains.

Dr. Falvey remained a pillar of Conroe’s society until his death, at age 73, in 1948. He was also a founding member of the Chamber of Commerce, Rotary Club of Conroe and the Montgomery County Fair Association. 

Recent history of the home 

According to the historical commission document, today the Falvey Home still has original wood floors, cedar closets, some original hardware, 
wall sconces, beautiful crystal chandeliers, windows, and a basement.

The Conroe Methodist Church purchased the building from Mrs. Falvey in 1950 about two years after her husband’s death and used the space for their parsonage and then later used it for their business offices and Sunday school classes.

In 1999, John Bamonte and his wife, Jo Miller Bamonte, purchased the home and restored it. Jo Miller used the space for her law office and offices for other attorneys. 

In 2021, Jo Miller sold the property to Child Advocates of Montgomery County. The nonprofit provides support, resources and guidance for some of the community’s most vulnerable children and families.

“The old brick two-story home stands as a testament to Dr. Thomas S. Falvey’s impact on Conroe and the greater Montgomery County communities for over 30 years,” according to the history. 

If the full content does not display, visit the article originally published on this site