The Bastrop Advertiser and County News (Bastrop, Tex.), Vol. [128], No. 20, Ed. 1 Thursday, May 7, 1981 Page: 3 of 16

                                
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Thursday, May 7, 1981
THE BASTROP ADVERTISER AND COUNTY NEWS
Page 3
A'wood enchantress'on Highway 71
133 year-old farm house being restored
By M.S. STAPLES
For considerable timel
this writer has been slowly'
yet steadily succumbing to
the silent, winsome beckon-
ings eminating from a tiny
antiquity ol a Jarm house
sitting serenely 3 miles out
of Smithville, off Highway
71 West. A little wooden
enchantress- having with-
stood over 100 seasons of
summer's sunbeams, and
whining winds of winter.
This cottage draws atten-
tion for three principal rea-
sons: its most uncommon
architectural design- its ob-
vious great, great age--and,
in consideration of the lat-
ter-the fact that it is still
standing!
RARE ROOM
An octagonally shaped
room fronts the house on
the southwest corner, thus
producing a very defined
bay window effect. This
structuring today yet lends
a certain air of elegance and
dignity to a house clearly
bearing the indelible scars
of time, of the elements. ,
Built in 1848, this house
is 133 years old.
Standing on its original
site, it is still supported by
those first timbers. One of
the two brick chimneys has
succumbed to time, crumbl-
ing into dust. Vines have
vigorously crept up outer
walls, as if to offer support
and comfort to this staunch
little house-standing vigil,
as noble guardian of its
colorful past.
early Texas history-and af
ter whom Burleson County
was named. Her father lo-
cated in Texas in 1833.
News of the opening Tex-
as frontier spread rapidly
through the East upon con
elusion of the Mexican War.
The W.D.C. Jones family,
then settled in Tennessee,
struck out for these new
lands and a new life, reset-
tling in Bastrop County, on
the Colorado River, 10
miles below the community
of that name.
The Jones were parents
of 10 children. One son,
George Washington Jones,
distinguished himself as an
attorney in both Bastrop
County and throughout the
state.
Another son, Benjamin
Franklin Jones, remained
on the family farm until his
death in 1887. One of his
daughters, Rachel, married
Doctor J.H.E. Powell, who
had come to Texas from
Virginia, and who became a
prominent pioneer citizen
and physician during early
Smithville times. Rachel
Powell was schooled at Miss
Orgain's Academy in Bas-
trop. Often, she accompan-
ied her physician husband
on calls, assisting him as
needed. The first few years
of their married life was
spent on the family farm
with her parents. As Smith-
ville grew, they purchased
a home at Ramona and
Third, into which they mov-
ed and where they raised
their family of five. One of
their sons, George, married
Ann Doak of El Paso in,
1925. Today, Ann Doak
Powell, his widow, main
tains the Smithville home-
stead of the J.H.E. Powells
-only one Powell son sur-
vives, Doctor William N., of
Temple. But, there are
grandchildren and their des-
cendants. And, all of these
family members are stand
ard bearers of the fine
legacy left them by these
most illustrious and warmly
remembered settlers--the
W.D.C. Jones family.
THE FUTURE
This early farm house has
remained within the Powell
family until recently. It has
been purchased by a South
Texas resident. It is to be
restored. This structure, es-
pecially during the past few
years, has garnered consid-
erable interest.- A team of
architectural experts came
down from UT to visit the
house a few years past.-.b^-
ing interested in its antiqui-
ty and unusual structural
features. La Grange artist
Marilyn Kellar did a fine oil
dar in that city. ,
So today, this little wood
ed, tender hand which will
restore it to near original
frame smoke house. Toward
the old highway stood a
1MM
Pictured, the 133-year-old homestead of W.D.C. Jones family, early, illustrious
Bastrop County settlers.
Staff photo by Davis McAuley.
painting of the house, which en enchantress nestles
appears on a business calen- quietly, awaiting the talfe'nt-
Cakes and dance
Benefit to fix Sand Hills Road
Today, it serves as a
hay barn. But rich history
is interwoven into the tap-
estry of this cottage. Furth-
er, a bright and interesting
future lies in store for this
period house. It is not .for-
gotten.
PIONEER BUILDER |
The builder of this classic
farm house was William
Dandridge Claiborne Jones
(better remembered as W.
D.C. Jones), born in Tenne-
ssee, in 1799. In 1822, he
married Rachel Burleson in
Alabama. Rachel was cousin
to General Edward Burle-
son, a member of. the' family
of that name, which is so
intimately interlaced within
By KATHERINE.
REYNOLDS
"Our goal: good roads!" is
the do-it-yourself motto of
the Sand Hills Civic Club of
Red Rock. To implement
their cause, the group is
sponsoring a benefit supper
and free dance to be held
Saturday, May 16 in the
Ernest Bartsch VFW Hall
on Highway 20, near
Rockne.
The purpose is to help
raise money to repair and
maintain the 4-mile long
dirt road leading into the
Sand Hills from Red Rock.
Due to inadequate plann-
ing when the Sand Hills
were first opened for devel-
opment in 1968, the road
has never been accepted for
county maintenance.
Sand Hills landowners or-
ganized a few years ago
with the realization that
they could not expect coun-
ty assistance any time soon,
and so must keep the road
open themselves. Yearly
dues to the civic club go
toward fixing their road.
"Many of us have child-
ren in school, some of us
are retired; none of us can
stand the bumps and gull-
eys any more. It's got to be
one of the worst roads in
the area. I've' seen bad
county roads too, but this is
just terrible - it always has
been," one landowner said.
Sand Hills residents are
busy now, baking cakes and
bread, and gathering dona-
tions and prize items for
the May 16 event.
Supper, "served from 4 to
6 p.m., will include barbe-
cued chicken and sausage, a
salad bar, and "all the trim-
mings."
Adult plates are $3.00,
plates for "children under 10
years are $1.50. Supper tic-
ket .holders are eligible to
win a new, 5-speed ceiling
fan.
At 8 p.m. the big dance
begins, which is free to all
comers.
Just before the dance
ends at midnight, a drawing
will be held for prizes which
include a 14-foot aluminum
boat, a latch-hook rug, a
large cured ham, and $25.00
cash.
form...looking forward to
future happy days when
perhaps once again, the
ring of children's laughter
can be heard throughout its
rooms, and a- hearth will
once more warmly glow.
STAGE STOP
The original house . held
two bedrooms (or more), a
living room, two fireplaces.
On the back of the house
was a large breezeway, and
a spacious eating room. A
kitchen was on the west
side, beyond which sat the
barn, a stable,
the horses.
a corral for
The Jones house served
as a waystop for the stage-
coach, as it laboriously jour-
neyed between Bastrop ana
I^aGrange...offering passen-
gers rest and refreshment.
And, it has been noted
that the Colorado River
came to the edge of what
was then the fenced yard...
such notation dated 1869.
The fence has long since
fallen.
Today, cattle graze and
laze in the field in front of
this super vintage house.
Scads' of wildflowers inter-
mingle with the grasses.
AT REST
Many of the W.D.C.
Jones family lie at rest only
a short distance away from
their homestead. W.D.C.
Jones died in 1893 in Bas-
trop. His wife Rachel died
27 years earlier, also in
Bastrop. They are buried in
old Oliver-Powell Cemetery.
In-both 1 ife- and death, thia
illustrious pioneer family
has remained close to the
land they worked, the land
they loved-the land that
gave them sustenance, shel-
ter and meaning...on a new
frontier in 1848.
(Our thanks to Mrs.
George Powell, Smithville,
for kind assistance in gath-
ering data for this article.)
Air Force band due
Called "a new approach
to telling the Air Force
story," a band of Air Force
active duty enlisted person-
nel from Lackland Air
Force Base will appear at
Smithville High School at
9:30 a.m. Monday, May 11.
The band will give a
concert lasting about one
hour, according to Air
Force Recruiter Chet Gard-
ner.
"They'll play pop and
country western as well as
other types of music,said
Gardner.
The public is invited, he
said. The concert will be
held in the school gym
nasium.
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Homes For Sale
Homes to be Built
in Bastrop &
Surrounding Area
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If you make $16,000 per year or less and can pay ■
approximately $350 down, you may qualify for a 3 '
bedroom, 1 bath, all carpeted, brick, all energy S
efficient home. •
Lots available or will build on your land. °
PHONE: 32M172 or 3214152 or after 6 pm
PHONE: 396-3069
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'SPECIAL CUFFS
FOR SPECIAL HCHS
Mother's Day
i & m,
PERFUME
TATI AN A
BY DIANE VON FURSTENBERG
LAUREN HALSTON
HANDBAGS BY SAS
We're Happy To Help
All The Members
Of The Family
0
Every Day At
Member FDlC
FIRST
NATIONAL BANK
  OF BASTROP
Your home-owned and operated Bank.
LADIES BILLFOLDS
AND KEY CHAINS
We Stamp Mom's Name
On The Key Chain.
FIND OUT HER SIZE
and get her a
NEW SPRING OUTFIT
or
WESTERN SHIRT
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