NEW HOUSES

ACROSS THE FENCE

 

 

By Arvord Abernethy

 

 

The sound of the saw and hammer can still be heard in out little city. Some buildings that are being built, we call houses, some homes. One that we can call a home is being built by David Holley and his bride of some three weeks, Helen Jackson. They are having Bob Jarvis build them a three bedroom, two bath brick home on East Boynton , just east of the Jimmy Dooleys.

 

Helen will continue teaching readin’, ‘ritin’ and ‘rithmetic to the second grade kiddoes in the Hamilton school, and David will continue using his clippers to improve the looks of the boys and their dads.

 

We wish for David and Helen many years of happiness in their new home.

 

Bob is also building a new home for Mary Jo Gromatzky on Sherry Lee Dr. there in the Jarvis addition. It will be a two bedroom brick home. Work is just now beginning on it.

 

 

 

Across the street from where Mary Jo is having her new home built, you will see something you don’t see very often in Hamilton , a new house is being rock faced. Stanley Jones a masonry contractor of Gatesville, is doing the work.

 

Hamilton County has a lot of building stone in it, and one wonders why more homes are not built of it. If you have one of those new Hamilton County history books, turn over to page 9 and read what Mr. J. J. Durham wrote in the 1867 Texas Almanac concerning Hamilton County . He wrote, “We have plenty of wood for fuel and fencing, and other necessary purposes to do the present population for a century; and should your building timber fail, we have almost an inexhaustible quantity of rock to supply its place, which is generally considered our best and cheapest building material.

 

Mr. Durham expressed his faith in rock by building our rock home on the ranch in 1873. He later built two rock homes in Hamilton . All three of these homes have solid rock walls that are about 18 inches thick, Most of the rock homes built now are just rock veneered. Since more labor is required in building a rock house than a brick one, not many are being built as they are more expensive. Every stone in the original part of our home at the ranch was hand dressed with a hammer and chisel, making a lot of man-hours put into its building. If you read just a little farther on in Mr. Durham’s report to the Texas Almanac you will read where he said, “We live very cheap,” so that gives you a clue as to how such a house could be built. A short distance north of the house is evidence of the kiln where limestone was burned to make the lime for the mortar in the house.

 

I suppose I am partial to rock for building purposes since I have lived in rock houses the 42 years I have been in Hamilton County . Rock is so informal and it can be laid in many different ways and patterns. Even thin rough rock cab be attractive.

 

The slab just poured on South Williams for a house Bates and Watson are building for Roy Christian. It is just north of the one they recently completed for Joe Railbourn. It will be a two bedroom brick.

 

 

Four new deacons, David Lengefeld, Dr. Bill Craig, Brooks Boutwell and Don Woodliff, were ordained at the Sunday morning services of the First Baptist Church . Things were so exciting a fuse blew, cutting out some of the lights and the air conditioner.

 

As we watched people fan, we were taken back to the days before air conditioners were ever dreamed of. One thing missing was the swish of the old palm leaf fan as it amplified the sound of it striking the lace ruffles on the white organdy blouses of the ladies.

 

 Shared by Roy Ables

 

ACROSS THE FENCE