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Limestone & Log: A Hill Country Sketchbook
71 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1968
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October 8, 2018
I’ll be the first to admit that I have a weakness for local and folk histories of every kind, and for every region. Having lived in Central Texas for the last 22 years has left me with a deep appreciation for the rich and varied background of the area. Austin, Texas occupies a strange sort of geographical distinction, being as it sits pretty much dead center on the Balcones Fault. To the east the land gradually flattens out and turns into coastal plain, to the west it is simply known as the Texas Hill Country, a demarcation defined by the Balcones Escarpment which is the surface expression of the faultline itself.
The Hill Country is rugged terrain, marked by a proliferation of Prickly Pear cactus, mesquite trees, and the ubiquitous varieties of cedar trees and mountain juniper. Natural springs can be found in many places, and caves dot the landscape in the hilly areas. It truly is the boundary between east and west, both geographically and culturally. To the west of Austin you will find many small townships, often founded by German and Czech and Swedish immigrants who were as stoic and as solid as the bedrock itself. It’s tough land for farming, and the settlers often found themselves resorting to cattle ranching or cotton production and a few other small industries in order to scratch out a living in the region. Peaches were the only orchard fruit that did well in the Hill Country soil and climate, and the small outpost of Fredericksburg became point central for a thriving fruit enterprise. Grapes also did well, and thus the Hill Country is known for the high quality of its regional wineries.
“Limestone and Log, A Hill Country Sketchbook” is a beautiful little treasure of a book that brings the architecture of the region to life with elegant pencil drawings done by J. Roy White, who was an important Austin architect renowned for his restoration of historical landmarks across Central Texas. The text is provided by Joe B. Frantz, a noted historian and professor at both the University of Texas and Corpus Christi State University. “Limestone and Log” was first published in 1968, and sadly both of the men involved with the making of the book are no longer with us. But they left behind a worthy legacy with this lovely and short tribute to the houses and schools and barns and other structures scattered about the Texas Hill Country. 71 brief pages can’t begin to do justice to the diversity and simple, utilitarian grandeur of these dwellings and workspaces. A few standouts have to be documented:
J. Frank Dobie’s residence “Paisano.” This was a small ranch with a big house where Dobie would receive family and visitors. Dobie, of course, was one of the finest and most well known writers of Texas folklore and history of all time. This house was his refuge and his domain in his later years. After his death it was turned into a retreat for writers and historians.
The old stone barn owned by Samuel Ealy Johnson, who was the grandfather of one Lyndon Baines Johnson. Located in Johnson City, of course, the barn was constructed of Hill Country rock and had a tin roof. Examples of this style of construction can still be seen today.
The Fritz Lindig House near Hye, Texas. Built of native limestone some 16 inches thick, it was meant to stay cool in the sweltering Central Texas summers and stay warm in the short but chilly Hill Country winters. Walls of stone that thick can sweat, however, and Fritz probably found himself living in a clammy environment from time to time.
The mighty Luckenbach Post Office and General Store. Complete with an outhouse and an old-style hand gasoline pump, the Post Office sat at a crossroads where a natural spring brook ran all year round and settlers in the area would visit often to collect mail and buy supplies. Luckenbach was immortalized in song by Willie and Waylon and the boys, and getting back to the basics of love was never better than it was in those simpler times.
The Fredericksburg Fachverk House. “Fachverk” was a German style of construction that relies on a crisscrossing system of beams and joists instead of the usual perpendicular and horizontal systems used elsewhere. Fachverk construction was unusually strong and made to last, much like the stolid immigrants who populated the area and brought their traditions with them.
All said, this is a neat piece of Texana and a gorgeous bit of art that shines a light on a bygone era in Hill Country history. Some of these structures still stand today, monuments to a rough and ready existence punctuated by danger and hardship. The people who settled this region never conquered this harsh and beautiful land, but they did manage to make a sort of peace with it. They took what the Hill Country gave them and were rewarded by communion with a stunning landscape that provides the best sunsets in the world, even to this day.
This little gem of a book reminded me very much of a book that I reviewed last year, though THAT one had a much lighter subject matter in mind. You can find that review here if you are interested:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I am glad that I was able to put in the first review for “Limestone and Log.” It’s a bit of a shame that local pieces of folklore and history have largely been forgotten in the modern age, but hopefully I can shine a light on a book that should absolutely not be neglected. I will forever be grateful to the San Marcos Public Library clerk who chose this as a staff pick and put it out for display where I could pick it up and discover it. Books are only alive when someone reads them, and this one should definitely be given a chance to keep telling its tales.
The Hill Country is rugged terrain, marked by a proliferation of Prickly Pear cactus, mesquite trees, and the ubiquitous varieties of cedar trees and mountain juniper. Natural springs can be found in many places, and caves dot the landscape in the hilly areas. It truly is the boundary between east and west, both geographically and culturally. To the west of Austin you will find many small townships, often founded by German and Czech and Swedish immigrants who were as stoic and as solid as the bedrock itself. It’s tough land for farming, and the settlers often found themselves resorting to cattle ranching or cotton production and a few other small industries in order to scratch out a living in the region. Peaches were the only orchard fruit that did well in the Hill Country soil and climate, and the small outpost of Fredericksburg became point central for a thriving fruit enterprise. Grapes also did well, and thus the Hill Country is known for the high quality of its regional wineries.
“Limestone and Log, A Hill Country Sketchbook” is a beautiful little treasure of a book that brings the architecture of the region to life with elegant pencil drawings done by J. Roy White, who was an important Austin architect renowned for his restoration of historical landmarks across Central Texas. The text is provided by Joe B. Frantz, a noted historian and professor at both the University of Texas and Corpus Christi State University. “Limestone and Log” was first published in 1968, and sadly both of the men involved with the making of the book are no longer with us. But they left behind a worthy legacy with this lovely and short tribute to the houses and schools and barns and other structures scattered about the Texas Hill Country. 71 brief pages can’t begin to do justice to the diversity and simple, utilitarian grandeur of these dwellings and workspaces. A few standouts have to be documented:
J. Frank Dobie’s residence “Paisano.” This was a small ranch with a big house where Dobie would receive family and visitors. Dobie, of course, was one of the finest and most well known writers of Texas folklore and history of all time. This house was his refuge and his domain in his later years. After his death it was turned into a retreat for writers and historians.
The old stone barn owned by Samuel Ealy Johnson, who was the grandfather of one Lyndon Baines Johnson. Located in Johnson City, of course, the barn was constructed of Hill Country rock and had a tin roof. Examples of this style of construction can still be seen today.
The Fritz Lindig House near Hye, Texas. Built of native limestone some 16 inches thick, it was meant to stay cool in the sweltering Central Texas summers and stay warm in the short but chilly Hill Country winters. Walls of stone that thick can sweat, however, and Fritz probably found himself living in a clammy environment from time to time.
The mighty Luckenbach Post Office and General Store. Complete with an outhouse and an old-style hand gasoline pump, the Post Office sat at a crossroads where a natural spring brook ran all year round and settlers in the area would visit often to collect mail and buy supplies. Luckenbach was immortalized in song by Willie and Waylon and the boys, and getting back to the basics of love was never better than it was in those simpler times.
The Fredericksburg Fachverk House. “Fachverk” was a German style of construction that relies on a crisscrossing system of beams and joists instead of the usual perpendicular and horizontal systems used elsewhere. Fachverk construction was unusually strong and made to last, much like the stolid immigrants who populated the area and brought their traditions with them.
All said, this is a neat piece of Texana and a gorgeous bit of art that shines a light on a bygone era in Hill Country history. Some of these structures still stand today, monuments to a rough and ready existence punctuated by danger and hardship. The people who settled this region never conquered this harsh and beautiful land, but they did manage to make a sort of peace with it. They took what the Hill Country gave them and were rewarded by communion with a stunning landscape that provides the best sunsets in the world, even to this day.
This little gem of a book reminded me very much of a book that I reviewed last year, though THAT one had a much lighter subject matter in mind. You can find that review here if you are interested:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I am glad that I was able to put in the first review for “Limestone and Log.” It’s a bit of a shame that local pieces of folklore and history have largely been forgotten in the modern age, but hopefully I can shine a light on a book that should absolutely not be neglected. I will forever be grateful to the San Marcos Public Library clerk who chose this as a staff pick and put it out for display where I could pick it up and discover it. Books are only alive when someone reads them, and this one should definitely be given a chance to keep telling its tales.
Displaying 1 of 1 review