The Lay of the Land.....

The first day we arrived after closing was the first day we actually walked the fence line. As we rounded the corner of the barn we were greeting with a pile of scrap metal, car parts, old appliances and bathroom fixtures. We spent the first summer “clearing out” the pasture and hauling off stuff that had been abandoned over the years. We now know the term “putting out to pasture” can refer to any item and not just to livestock. We still have a few lawn ornaments that remain….

The old Cistern was found lying on its side – the base missing. It still has its original markings, but we have not located any other information about its original location on the property.

There was also one vehicle that we could not get out with the first clearing. A 1940-something truck “slightly” inverted with a tree growing up through the old engine compartment. It did belong to the original owner, but no one is quite sure how it got into this state.

Our second summer brought an opportunity to have livestock – the cows belong to a neighbor down the road, his parents were the original owners of the house and he is a good source for many questions we have about the house’s history. After one season the cows left our pasture.

In the beginning.....

Long, long ago in a county not far away our search for a house began. After a six year search we purchased and after a two year wait, we moved…..and the remodel begins….

The house is a combination California Mission and Craftsman Bungalow and was built in 1947 with recycled wood from Camp Swift decommissioned barracks.

1946 found Camp Swift with a skeleton crew of 800. Congressman Lyndon Johnson visited with all of Bastrop Co. mayors at a barbecue in Bastrop State Park and it is here (some historians believe) that LBJs lifelong fondness for Elgin sausage began. Their Honors wanted Camp Swift reactivated, LBJ wanted to be reelected. Shortly before elections, a convoy of Troops from the 12th Cavalry at Camp Hood (approximately 1000 men) conspicuously occupied the Camp. Johnson was reelected, the troops inconspicuously convoyed back to Camp Hood and Camp Swift was reduced to lumber being sold at $5 per truckload.

The lumber exposed in some of the attic areas and behind some of the old wall coverings had the original paint from the barracks.

One of the floorboards upstairs has the initials “L R” carved into the wood that does not match any of the previous home owners and may have been placed there by someone at Camp Swift.

The house originally had white stucco siding, which was updated to vinyl sometime in the 1980’s. The floor plan is nearly in its original layout (one door was walled over) and includes no additions.