Hoover House Reading Book Reduced
Saved from the DozerTypical of the nearly 100 time worn homes and buildings in and around Bastropthat Tommy and Judi Hoover have returned to life over the past 40 plus years is their170-year-old residence at the northwest corner of the town’s vintage center.The house had evolved from a double-pen dogtrot cabin with oversized, 19-footsquarerooms shouldering a broad entry hallway. Built around 1850 by two brothersof German descent, one a carpenter and the other a mason, the structure was in a sadstate of abandonment on the sandy ridge of a cattle ranch just west of town whenTommy was first invited to look at it.We took the porches off, stacked the bricks from the remaining fireplace, and laidthe roof down to get ready for the move to town.“It was a mess inside and out,” he remembers of the 1986 visit. Cows had freelymade themselves at home. They’d traipsed up the sagging front steps and enjoyed theshelter of its big rooms, covering plank floors with their manure. Hundreds of muddauber wasp nests plastered the walls.Deer hunters who leased the ranch had attempted, with little talent, to decorateinteriors with camouflage paint. They had nailed a stick chair high on a wall as aTV stand and elsewhere had mis-aimed so many dart throws that the walls were leftpeppered with holes.All he saw of value were four beautiful, handmade fireplace mantles. ButHoover passed on the offer to take them, or the house. He and Judiwere busy enough with other projects -- at that time the most theyhad yet taken on.Leaving the Benight Ranch, headed down Erhardt Road (in two pieces) on its way toHistoric Wilson Street Bastrop, Texas.
Like a giant puzzle, carefully piecing it all back together1316 Wilson St.
- Page 2 and 3: Humble BeginingsJudi, one of three
- Page 4 and 5: 703 Farm St wasour first home inBas
- Page 6 and 7: 809 Main St.The 1832 TavernTheir
- Page 8 and 9: Shortly after we bpight the Taverm
- Page 10 and 11: All of the trees and plant were pla
- Page 12 and 13: Paul Goebel’s General StoreFront
- Page 14 and 15: Dave Garcia HouseCollege St Bastrop
- Page 16 and 17: The Infamous “Club 71”On TX Hwy
- Page 18 and 19: Ealry Texas HomeOn Farm St, Bastrop
- Page 20 and 21: “People say he has an artist’s
- Page 23 and 24: We added the “River Room” for t
- Page 27 and 28: This building was the 1860’s Smok
- Page 29 and 30: This building was half of a home on
- Page 31 and 32: This building was originally a “S
- Page 33: This 1905 building was being used a
- Page 36 and 37: This was a one room schoolhouse in
- Page 38 and 39: We are always on the lookout for“
- Page 42 and 43: “It was clear to me now, there wa
- Page 44 and 45: 1316 WilsonBuilt 1857Moved to Bastr
- Page 49: Originally a “Dogtrot”, with an
- Page 52 and 53: We cut large openings in two walls
- Page 56: The 11’7” tall ceilings in the
- Page 62 and 63: Up was the only direction left to g
- Page 64 and 65: 1503 Wilson1860’s House + 1941 Ba
- Page 67 and 68: The 1800’s structure now houses t
- Page 69: Behind this door, under the stairca
- Page 74: The wide pine plank floors from the
- Page 77 and 78: This Victorian jewel had been well
- Page 79: The Cockrill House was loccated in
- Page 83 and 84: We opened the back hall wall to cre
- Page 85 and 86: Typically, homes from the 1800’s
- Page 89 and 90: The attic of the front portion of t
Saved from the Dozer
Typical of the nearly 100 time worn homes and buildings in and around Bastrop
that Tommy and Judi Hoover have returned to life over the past 40 plus years is their
170-year-old residence at the northwest corner of the town’s vintage center.
The house had evolved from a double-pen dogtrot cabin with oversized, 19-footsquare
rooms shouldering a broad entry hallway. Built around 1850 by two brothers
of German descent, one a carpenter and the other a mason, the structure was in a sad
state of abandonment on the sandy ridge of a cattle ranch just west of town when
Tommy was first invited to look at it.
We took the porches off, stacked the bricks from the remaining fireplace, and laid
the roof down to get ready for the move to town.
“It was a mess inside and out,” he remembers of the 1986 visit. Cows had freely
made themselves at home. They’d traipsed up the sagging front steps and enjoyed the
shelter of its big rooms, covering plank floors with their manure. Hundreds of mud
dauber wasp nests plastered the walls.
Deer hunters who leased the ranch had attempted, with little talent, to decorate
interiors with camouflage paint. They had nailed a stick chair high on a wall as a
TV stand and elsewhere had mis-aimed so many dart throws that the walls were left
peppered with holes.
All he saw of value were four beautiful, handmade fireplace mantles. But
Hoover passed on the offer to take them, or the house. He and Judi
were busy enough with other projects -- at that time the most they
had yet taken on.
Leaving the Benight Ranch, headed down Erhardt Road (in two pieces) on its way to
Historic Wilson Street Bastrop, Texas.
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