About

Jones House takes its name from the family who built it -- a marriage of Sargie Espy and Frank Jones, members of two of the early ranching families in the region. 

When looking to build a town home for their family to entertain and gather, they turned to Mabel Welch to design it. 

At a time when the American Southwest often looked outward for architectural inspiration, Welch championed a distinctly regional style rooted in local history, tradition, and the rhythms of the desert environment. As one of the first women to establish a prominent architectural practice in Texas, she not only broke professional barriers but also left an enduring imprint on the cultural landscape of the borderlands, anticipating many of the principles that define contemporary place-based design today.

Today, the residence has entered a new chapter as Jones House, an intimate luxury inn that honors the family that built it and the spirit of Welch's original vision while welcoming a new generation of travelers to Marfa. Carefully restored and thoughtfully updated, the property preserves its architectural integrity through a reverence for historic materials, craftsmanship, and design. In a fitting tribute to its creator, the inn has adopted an illustration of Mabel Welch as its emblem, placing the architect at the center of its identity and celebrating the enduring legacy of a woman whose work helped shape the architectural character of West Texas.

Maisie Crow and Max Kabat purchased Jones House in 2021 after admiring the property from afar for many years. They lived in the house as a private residence before deciding to open it to visitors, offering guests the opportunity to experience a place that had long captivated them. Their approach reflects a shared belief in preserving the architecture and institutions that give a place its character while allowing them to evolve with the present.

Maisie, a Texas native whose family ranches in the region, and Max have made Far West Texas central to both their lives and work. Together, they own and operate The Sentinel, the neighborhood coffee shop and restaurant, and previously owned and operated Marfa’s Big Bend Sentinel. 

At Jones House, they have brought that same spirit of stewardship to one of Marfa’s distinctive historic homes—honoring its architecture, supporting regional craftsmanship and creating a welcoming place for guests to experience the landscape and community they love.