Ruth Paine Home Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
Paine House
U.S. National Register of Historic Places

Paine House in 2022
Paine House Location in Texas Show map of Texas Paine House Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	2515 W. Fifth Street, Irving, Texas
Area	0.20 acres (0.081 ha)
Built	1956; 69 years ago (1956)
Built by	C.B. Hardee
Architectural style	Modern Movement: Ranch Style
NRHP reference No.	14000963
Added to NRHP	November 26, 2014

The Ruth Paine Home is a house located at 2515 W. 5th Street in Irving, Texas, United States. This house became famous because Lee Harvey Oswald stayed there the night before a very important event. On November 22, 1963, he was involved in the death of U.S. President John F. Kennedy in Dealey Plaza. It is believed that Oswald took the rifle he used from the garage of this house, where he had hidden it.

The Ruth Paine Home was recognized as an important historical place. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in November 2014.

History of the Paine Home
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History of the Paine Home

Building the House

The Paine home was built in 1956. It is located in Irving, Texas, which is a suburb of Dallas. This house played a key role in the events of 1963 related to President Kennedy.

Who Lived There?

At the time, the house belonged to Michael and Ruth Paine. They were separated, meaning they were living apart. Ruth Paine offered her home as a temporary place for Marina Oswald and her children to stay. Marina was Lee Harvey Oswald's wife.

Lee Harvey Oswald was living about 13 miles (21 km) away in Dallas. He stayed at a rooming house so he could be close to his new job. He worked at the Texas School Book Depository in Downtown Dallas. Oswald usually visited Marina and their children at the Paine home on Fridays. He would spend the weekend there and then return to Dallas for work on Monday.

The Day Before the Event

On Thursday, November 21, 1963, Oswald finished his work shift. He surprised his co-worker, Buell Wesley Frazier, by asking for a ride back to Irving. Usually, Oswald would ask for a ride on Friday. Frazier lived near the Paines and commuted with Oswald every day. Oswald told Frazier that Marina had made him some new curtains for his apartment. He said he wanted to pick them up.

Morning of November 22, 1963

On the morning of November 22, 1963, it is believed that Oswald got his rifle from the garage. The rifle was hidden there, wrapped in a blanket on the floor. He left early, before anyone else in the house was awake. He left some cash and his wedding ring on a table next to his bed.

Reports say Oswald then wrapped the rifle in brown paper. He walked a short distance to Frazier's home. He put the package in the back seat of Frazier's car. Then, they began their drive to the Texas School Book Depository. A few hours later, President John F. Kennedy's motorcade passed directly in front of that building.

The House as a Museum

In 2009, the city of Irving bought the Ruth Paine Home. They planned to fix it up and make it look like it did in 1963. The city spent about $100,000 on this restoration project. The work began in 2011. The Ruth Paine Home officially opened as a museum on November 6, 2013. Visitors can now see what the house looked like during that important time in history.