Help Us Save a Piece of DeKalb History

Special Thanks for a Great Article by Kenny Mitchell at the West Bowie Post

DeKalb Oktoberfest working to save iconic downtown buildingn 18 

By Kenny Mitchell

An icon of the rich history of DeKalb is in need of extensive repairs and remodeling and the DeKalb Oktoberfest Organization is asking the community to come to its rescue.

The Telford/Lindsay Building, located in downtown DeKalb, has stood as a part of the fabric of DeKalb for more than 100 years now.

Local historian and curator of the Williams House Museum, Carolyn McCrary, told the West Bowie Post that she believes the building was built by W.L. Lindsay in the early 1920’s after a fire ravaged most of the buildings on the street in 1919.

In the 50’s or early 60’s, Porter and Inez Lindsay, along with Lindsay and Elza Crump, hosted a grand opening for a dry goods store at the location.

Around 1970, Quincy Telford took ownership of the historic building and operated a furniture and propane store there, that remained in operation until former State Representative Barry Telford and Marsha Telford closed the business and donated the building to a local nonprofit around 2007.

The building is now owned by our very own DeKalb Oktoberfest.

In recent years the building had seen better days. There was a need for a new roof and a plethora of repairs inside. The Oktoberfest Committee decided that this year would be the year of restoration and a fundraising effort was begun.


DeKalb Oktoberfest is now proud to announce that the restoration efforts are well underway as we celebrate our festival this year. The building recently received that much needed new roof thanks in part to those fundraising efforts and to the dedicated work of Alliance Roofing and Construction of Texas.


Alliance began the project by first removing the old roof and then giving the new roof a firm foundation by replacing the old, deteriorated roof decking. The contractors took their time with the process and repaired all of the damaged areas before starting to apply the new roof. The building is now topped with a new 60-mil PVC single-ply membrane roofing system backed by a 20-year warranty.
Our historic Telford/Lindsay Building will now once again be able to serve our community and the walls will once again hear the history of DeKalb being made.


DeKalb Oktoberfest’s Dr. Donna McDaniel states, “When people visit DeKalb, they don’t just see buildings—they see our history, our resilience, and the generations of families who built this community. After the tornado, we lost many of the historic structures that helped tell our story. The Lindsay/Telford Building is one of the few remaining reminders of that history. Preserving the Lindsay/Telford Building isn’t just about restoring a structure; it’s about preserving the memories, character, and heritage of DeKalb for our children and grandchildren.”

DeKalb Oktoberfest’s Dr. Donna McDaniel states, “When people visit DeKalb, they don’t just see buildings—they see our history, our resilience, and the generations of families who built this community. After the tornado, we lost many of the historic structures that helped tell our story. The Lindsay/Telford Building is one of the few remaining reminders of that history. Preserving the Lindsay/Telford Building isn’t just about restoring a structure; it’s about preserving the memories, character, and heritage of DeKalb for our children and grandchildren.”