Back Road Whispers: April 2018

I was fortunate enough to be invited to go with a group going on a bus tour to Winedale, Texas for a day trip.

In 1961 Ima Hogg bought approximately 130 acres in order to preserve the original owner's home. Then began the restoration of the home requiring research and detective work to make it as authentic as possible. Called the Lewis-Wagner home, it was brought back to it's former glory using local products and timbers, just as it was done in 1834 and through the subsequent remodeling and additions. Unfortunately it was closed due to damage from Hurricane Harvey so we didn't get to go inside.

In the years following Ms.Hogg's purchase, and after donating it to The University of Texas, outbuildings were restored, other historical buildings in the area were brought in, especially during the building of nearby lakes. One of the out buildings was a large barn, now equipped with dressing rooms and a stage. Presentations are well attended during the summer months to this day.

Even the visitor center is steeping in history. It was built for Alfred Wagner's parent-in-law in 1930. It was extensively remodeled adding the dormers and the side porch. A small pollinator garden was added this year to the front and side of the house.

I look forward to seeing this garden next year and the years to come after it has had a chance to get established.

All tours are greeted by the neighbors and welcomed to Winedale. They hear a bus and come running to be the first to welcome you and hopefully the first for a bit of ear scratching. Gus is the yellow lab and Astro the brown and white.

So in no particular order, join me as we walk around the 200+ acres that now comprise the Winedale Historical Center.

The one room school house. Inside photograph would have shown you the rest of the tour group so this was all I could really get. It does have a wood burning stove in the center and desks on each side with the teacher's desk in front. It was built in 1894 and was an elementary school until 1943 and then Lutheran services were held inside. In 1945 the Luterans went elsewhere and it became a hay barn. UT former students restored it and donated it in 1994.

Different shots of the Hazel's Lone Oak Cottage, built in the dog trot style. As you can see in the first picture, an open breezeway runs through the center of the house aiding in the circulation of air (a very necessary thing in Texas summers). The roof is covered in "shakes" thick shingle like tiles. If you look close you can see where they are starting to curl. The foundation is dry stack - and expertly done!

It was built in 1868 about two miles south of Winedale by a German immigrant on Jack's Creek. It has been restored to its simple beauty. (I'm thinking the wheelchair ramp might be new - grin)

This is one of the pilings under the Lone Oak Cottage. This and the rest are the only shoring this cabin has. Remarkable.

Sadly, this is what remains of the Lauderdale House, built around 1858. It was bought by Ima Hogg in 1963 and moved before its original location was flooded as part of Lake Somerville. It was a residence hall for visiting artists and students until an electrical fire destroyed it in 1981. The remains of the building were buried between the two chimneys.

The mighty oak that stands close to the residence and dining hall. The car and pickup give you a bit of perspective on how large it is...I would like to tell you I did that on purpose, however I spent five minutes trying to find an angle so you wouldn't see the vehicles.

Built in 1894 from timbers that were salvaged from the old Lewis cotton gin of the 1860's the barn was used as a hay barn. In 1960 the stage was built along with dressing rooms and the hay barn became a theater.