A Restoration Commitment

It takes the resolve of a community--and, oftentimes, a good deal of money--to save its historic structures from the "progress" of modernization and then to restore them. The city of Bastrop, Texas, can be very proud of the downtown buildings (covered in recent entries) and homes that have been lovingly restored.

Today, we take a walking tour around some of the neighborhoods.

Zeiten-Morris House, 1903

Surrounded by pecan trees this elegant turn-of-the-century Victorian residence served as the gateway to Bastrop's "Silk Stocking Row." It is now the Pecan Street Inn.

Some of its elaborate millwork is shown in the photo below.

T.A. and Marie Hasler House, 1870

T.A. Hasler arrived in 1861 as a penniless teenager, but helped organize the First National Bank in 1889. "Fireflies in the Garden," starring Julia Roberts and Ryan Reynolds was filmed here in 2007.

Hubbard-Trigg House, 1890

Chester and Mary Trigg Erhard House, 1887

J.H. Pearcy House, 1910

J.H. Pearcy was a merchant and the original owner of this Victorian home.

Paul D. Page House, 1920

Texas State Senator Paul DeWitt Page built this large red brick, Prairie-style home.

E.S. Orgain House, 1914

Elbert and his wife Louise received this magnificent house as a wedding gift from Elbert's father, B.D. Orgain. The stately columned porch is repeated inside the house. A dramatic staircase rises from the entrance hall to the second floor. "When Angels Sing," a holiday movie starring Harry Connick, Jr., was filmed here in 2011.

Brooks-Wilbarger House, 1851

Major I.M. Brooks and his wife, Althea, built this Greek Revival home, which James Harvey and Dorothy Wilbarger acquired in 1865.

White-Turner House, 1890

This 1890 Victorian home was built by John White, a local contractor. It is embellished with elaborate gingerbread and stained glass windows. There is a gaslight system and a copper cistern in the attic.

H.B. Combs House, 1912

The home is an eclectic mixture of architectural styles, including Neo-Classical and Arts and Craft.

Hall-Sayers-Perkins House, c. 1830s-1850s

Originally the home of Dr. David Sayers, whose son became governor of Texas (1899-1903). Originally, the home was a two-room cottage with a dog-trot passage and an outdoor kitchen. A second story was added in 1910. The house was restored in the 1960s.

H.P. Luckett House, 1892

This home, one of Bastrop's grand Victorians, was built in the Queen Ann style. It has a variety of gingerbread and fretwork and a grand staircase.

On a personal note, I love the porches on this home and on the B.D. Orgain House (in the third photo below).

Allen-Bell House, c. 1850s

This has been the home of four generations of Bells. The exterior walls are of vertical board and batten.

Rufus A. Green House, 1888

Rufus Green purchased this home in 1888. It was formerly a one-story cottage with high ceilings and floored throughout with wide cedar boards. The kitchen was in a separate structure. In 1910, Rufus' son-in-law added the upper story and colonial front.

B.D. Orgain House, 1881

This double-galleried Victorian residence features intricate detailing and fishscale shingling.

Sarah Jane Orgain House, c. mid 1880s

For 57 years, this was the home of Mrs. Sarah Jane Orgain. A foyer with a grand staircase divides the front two rooms.

Crocheron-McDowall House, 1857

For many years, this two-story Greek Revival style home of Bastrop area merchant, Henry Crocheron, and his wife, was the social and intellectual center in Bastrop. Five fireplaces added to its splendor.

Allen-Fowler House, 1852

Professor William J. Hancock, headmaster of the new Bastrop Academy, which opened in 1851, built the home to serve as a residence and a boarding house. In 1857,the Academy was converted into the Bastrop Military Institute, Governor Sam Houston, whose son attended the Institute, was a frequent visitor to the town.

Information on the historic homes identified above was taken from the brochure "Home Tour Guide - Historic District" of Bastrop, Texas. More than 130 sites are listed in the National Register of Historic Places.