The Heard-Craig House is a beautifully restored historic home located in McKinney’s historic district. The home was built by Stephen D. Heard and his wife, Lillie, in 1900. The couple moved into the home with their 18-year-old son, Fred, and 16-year-old daughter, Katie. The gracious hospitality of the Heard family soon made this residence a center of social, business, art and literary activities.  The Heard-Craig House is on the National Register of Historic Places and is designated as a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark.

Stephen Heard and his brother, John, were owners of the J. S. & S. D. Heard Mercantile on the downtown square in McKinney. The store provided the growing community of McKinney with groceries, farm implements, saddles and other necessities for more than 30 years. The Heard brothers were life-long business partners who invested wisely in numerous enterprises, including cotton and flour mills, real estate, insurance and their community.

A bequest from the estate of Kathryn (Katie) Heard Craig in 1970 made it possible to preserve the Heard family home so that future generations could “learn somewhat of the past.” It was also Mrs. Craig’s wish that women’s clubs in McKinney with a cultural or educational focus be allowed to meet in the home at no charge. She believed that the clubs made a tremendous contribution to the well-being of the community through their civic projects. The clubs also provided an educational resource for women of her generation, many of whom did not have the opportunity to attend college. The Heard-Craig House still offers its hospitality to the men and women who now comprise the membership of these clubs.