This structure, with its molded cornice, is a good example of the large brick residences erected in Brownsville in the late 19th Century. It was built in 1894 for Mary Josephine Glaevecke Browne, widow of Cameron County Sheriff Matthew L. ("Theo") Browne. The architect was Samuel W. Brooks (1829-1903), who designed many public and private buildings in this area. Martha Landrum (Mrs. Robert E.) Wagner, descendant of two pioneer families, bought the house in 1920.