PA L E S T I N E C H A M B E R.O RG
15
A head for lending with a heart for design
C
lassy industrial farmhouse sounds like a
magazine description for one of Chip and
Joanna Gaines’ fixer uppers in Waco, Texas.
It also accurately describes Cecilia Webb’s renovation
of 513 N Church St., currently the home of Service
First Mortgage Company (formerly Cendera Funding).
Webb’s transformation of this space on Palestine’s
historic courthouse square is more than a property flip;
it’s the finest form of preservation, which can only be
born from a labor of love.
Born and raised in Palestine, Webb graduated from
Palestine High School and took classes at Trinity Valley
Community College and Tyler Junior College. By the
age of twenty-five, Webb’s work history included being
the vice president of a bank. She bought her first home
on Hood Street, where she and her sister realized their
talents for home improvement, especially their ability
to hang wallpaper. Webb was able to turn her new
found talent into more than a hobby with the help of
her brother, Larry Miller, who was a builder in Palestine.
Webb and her sister-in-law Jackie hung wallpaper to earn
extra money.
Webb ventured away from East Texas and landed in
Nashville. There her banking experience and interest in
home improvement came together. Webb developed
a business relationship with a former banker who had
made the leap to developer. He needed someone with
a designer’s eye to select and hang wallpaper in his new
homes, and Webb was the perfect fit.
Eventually, Webb moved home to Palestine to help
care for her aging mother. She was glad to have the
opportunity to give her children the experience of
growing up in the same small town that she did with
family nearby.
“This was home. I wanted my children to have an
established childhood home with fond memories to
cherish,” said Webb.
Not long after returning home, Webb connected with
Brian Collins, the owner of Treeline Mortgage, which
eventually became Cendera Funding. There she began
her mortgage career, first as a loan officer, and then
as a branch manager. For several years Webb focused
solely on the lending business and helping East Texans
make their homes in the area.
In 2016 Collins approached Webb with the idea
of buying a building rather than continuing to rent.
This acquisition would put Webb in a position to do
something bigger than her business. It gave her the
opportunity to preserve a piece of Palestine’s history.
“I could have opened a new business anywhere, but
it has been heartbreaking to watch our downtown area
and history perish. I decided I could keep talking about
being disappointed, or I could help resuscitate it,” said
Webb.
Webb’s branch had operated from different locations
over the years, including a downtown building. During
that time, she made upgrades to the buildings she
rented, which gave her the opportunity to learn about
Palestine’s historic structures and the challenges of
refurbishing old buildings. Webb and Collins purchased