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. This house is famous because Lee Harvey Oswald stayed here the night before a very important event. On November 22, 1963, he assassinated U.S. President John F. Kennedy in Dealey Plaza. Oswald had hidden the rifle he used in the house's garage. He took it from there on that day.

In November 2014, the house was added to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). This means it is a special place that is important to history.

History of the Paine Home
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History of the Paine Home

How the House Became Important

The Paine home was built in 1956 in Irving, Texas. Irving is a suburb of Dallas. This house became a key place in the story of the John F. Kennedy assassination in 1963.

At that time, the house belonged to Michael and Ruth Paine. Ruth Paine had offered her home as a temporary place for Marina Oswald and her children to live. Marina was the wife of Lee Harvey Oswald. Michael and Ruth Paine were separated and living apart.

Lee Harvey Oswald's Visits

Marina's husband, Lee Harvey Oswald, lived about 13 miles away. He stayed in a rooming house in Dallas. This was 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 on Fridays. He would spend the weekend at the Paine home. Then, he would return to Dallas for work on Monday.

The Day Before the Assassination

On Thursday, November 21, 1963, Oswald did something unusual. After his work shift, he asked his co-worker, Buell Wesley Frazier, for a ride back to Irving. He normally waited until Friday. Frazier lived near the Paines and they commuted to work together every day. Oswald told Frazier that Marina had made him some new curtains. He said he wanted to pick them up.

The Morning of November 22, 1963

On the morning of November 22, 1963, Oswald is believed to have taken his rifle from the garage. The rifle was hidden in a blanket on the garage floor. He left early, before anyone else in the house was awake. He left cash and his wedding ring on a bedside table.

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 started their drive to the Texas School Book Depository. Hours later, Oswald assassinated President John F. Kennedy. This happened as the President's car passed right in front of the building.

The House as a Museum

In 2009, the city of Irving bought the property. They planned to fix up the house. The city spent about $100,000 to make the home look like it did in 1963. The restoration work started in 2011. The Ruth Paine Home opened as a museum on November 6, 2013.